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THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 



LUKE. 



WITH NOTES, COMMENTS, MAPS, AND 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 



BY 



Rev. LYMAN ABBOTT, 

AUTHOR OF "DICTIONARY OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE," " JESUS OF NAZARETH," AND 
A SERIES OF COMMENTARIES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT. 



A. S. BARNES & COMPANY, 

NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND NEW ORLEANS. 
1878. 




.h25 



BY THE EDITOR OF THIS WORK. 



A SERIES OF POPULAR COMMENTARIES 

ON THE NEW TESTAMENT. 
IN EIGHT VOLUMES. 

Volume I. MATTHEW. With Notes and Comments, 
Maps and Illustrations ; also an Introduction 
to the Study of the New Testament, a con- 
densed life of Christ, and a tabular Harmony 
of the Gospels. 8vo, cloth, beveled. 

" II. MARK AND LUKE. (Ready.) 

" III. JOHN. (In Press.) 

" IV. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 

With Notes, Comments. Maps and Illustra- 
tions ; also an Introductory Treatise, Chro- 
nological Table and Gazetteer. 8vo, cloth, 
beveled. 

(The remaining volumes of the Series in preparation.) 






Copyright, 1878, A. S. Barnes & Co. 



The Gospel 



ACCORDING TO 



ST. LU KE, 



NOTES AND COMMENTS. 



THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. 



INTRODUCTION. 



By whom written. It is reasonably evident 
from a comparison of Luke 1 : 1-4 with Acts 1 : 1, 
that both books were by the same author ; and 
the evidence that the Book of Acts was by Luke 
I have collated in the Introduction to Acts. To 
him a universal and unbroken tradition also at- 
tributes this Gospel. For some account of the 
chain of evidences connecting Luke and the va- 
rious Gospels with the authors whose names they 
bear, see Vol. I of this Commentary, Intro, to the 
Study of the N. T., pp. 18-25. 

Of Luke very little is known with any degree 
of certainty. The only biblical references to him, 
apart from such as he makes impliedly to him- 
self, in his narrative in Acts, are Col. 1 : 11 ; 
Philem. 24 ; 2 Tim. 4:11. From these passages, 
coupled with those in Acts, we learn that he was 
probably not of Jewish extraction, since in Col. 
4 : 14 he is contrasted with those referred to in 
ver. 11 as " of the circumcision ; " that he was 
a physician, and therefore, presumptively, a 
person of some education and culture ; and that 
he was a friend and almost constant companion 
of Paul in his missionary travels. See Intro, to 
Acts and refs. there. An ecclesiastical tradition 
of no great authority represents him as a painter ; 
nothing is known as to his death. It has also 
been surmised that he was one of the seventy ; 
but the only indication in support of this surmise 
is the fact that he is the only writer who men- 
tions their appointment. (Luke 10 : i.) 

Sources of information. Luke himself ex- 
pressly indicates these in the preface to his Gos- 
pel (ch. l : 1-4). A careful examination of this 
preface, which is in one or two respects incor- 
rectly rendered in the English version,* indicates 
(1) that Luke's sources of information were not 
personal knowledge. He explicitly disavows 
having been himself an eye-witness of the events 
or an ear-witness of the teachings which he re- 
cords. There is no evidence that he accom- 
panied Christ in any of his ministry, or was a 
personal disciple of Christ while the latter was 
living, or indeed ever saw or heard him. (2.) 
One source was written but fragmentary nar- 
ratives prepared by those who were living wit- 
nesses, and who had written down what they 
had seen or heard. There is abundant evi- 
dence in the posf-apostolic writings that there 
were such narratives in existence in the primitive 
churches, which, having been absorbed in the 
now complete Evangelical narratives, have since 

* For a consideration of the more important differ- 
ences between the original Greek and the English 
translation, see notes on Luke 1 : 1-4. 



utterly perished. (3.) In addition to these frag- 
mentary records, Luke availed himself of personal 
investigation and inquiry of disciples and others 
who were eye-witnesses, thus at once verifying 
his material and adding to it. 

Object. This also is indicated by his preface. 
Whether, as I suppose, Theophilus be regarded 
as an individual, or only, as some have thought, 
as an ideal name for every lover of God, the ob- 
ject of the Gospel is the same. Throughout the 
apostolic age the basis of religious instruction 
was an account of the important events in the 
life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. See 
Acts 2 : 30-33 ; 3 : 12-18 ; 5 : 28-31 ; 10 : 39 ; 1 Cor. 
15 : 3-5. This instruction was imparted orally 
in catechetical forms to the young converts. 
The object of Luke was to gather up and embody 
in one measurably systematic book the fragments 
of history which were current in the church and 
capable of verification, and so provide a surer 
basis for the instruction of the catechumens of 
the primitive church, in the life and death of 
their Lord, than oral tradition afforded. In that 
age the life of Christ, not dogmatic theology, 
history not philosophy, was the basis of Christi- 
anity and the Christian Church. 

Influence of Paul. An ancient tradition re- 
ports that the Gospel of Mark was written under 
the influence of Peter (see Intro, to Mark's Gos- 
pel) ; and that of Luke under the influence of 
Paul. No great weight is to be attached to the 
mere tradition ; but there are some circumstances, 
both internal and external, which give color to 
this as a reasonable surmise. We know from 
some allusions in Paul's Epistles, and from more 
allusions in the Book of Acts, that Luke was 
Paul's constant companion ; and from our knowl- 
edge of Paul's character we may well surmise 
that he would have put forth a powerful and 
effective influence on the mind of his traveling 
companion, and one that could hardly have failed 
to affect materially the tone and spirit of his 
writing. And when we turn to the Gospel of 
Luke there are not wanting indications of that 
influence. Of all the apostles Paul was the one 
who must dwell upon the universality of the 
Gospel of Christ, its adaptation to and its wel- 
come for all men of all races, classes, beliefs and 
conditions. And of all the Gospels, the Gospel 
of Luke is the one in which this aspect of Christ's 
life and teaching is the most predominant. 

Its character. The character of Luke's Gos- 
pel conduces to and confirms what we have said 
of its authorship, object, and origin in these par- 
ticulars. 



LUKE. 



(1.) A history composed not by an eye-witness 
but by one who gathered his material from frag- 
mentary histories and oral traditions, would be 
naturally less accurate in its chronology than one 
prepared by a personal companion of our Lord. 
This is the case with Luke's Gospel. He repeats 
many aphorisms which are repeated by Matthew 
in different connections, and sometimes takes 
single verses out of a continuous discourse which 
Matthew has reported, and gives them as solitary 
thoughts in a quite different setting. It is true 
that such scholars as Alford and Godet have en- 
deavored in these cases to show that the same 
thought or figure was twice used by our Lord on 
different occasions ; and there are certainly some 
cases where this hypothesis is sustained by in- 
ternal evidence. But there are others where 
only a forced and artificial connection can be 
maintained between the thought and the context, 
and where, I am persuaded, it is much more rea- 
sonable to believe that Luke has inserted, out of 
their original connection, epigrammatic utter- 
ances of Christ, the occasion of which he did not 
know and does not indicate in his narrative. 

(2.) But if Luke's Gospel is less to be followed 
as a guide in questions of chronology and geo- 
graphy, it is, as might be expected, a broader 
and more comprehensive biography than either 
of the other three Gospels. Matthew and John 
describe chiefly what they personally saw and 
heard ; and Mark does not purport to give a 
complete biography of Christ, but only detached 
incidents and teachings in his life. Luke, on the 
other hand, whose work is a compilation from all 
then accessible sources of information, traces 
the life of Christ from his birth to his ascension ; 
and includes much that the other Evangelists did 
not record, probably because it did not lie within 
their own personal knowledge. Thus Luke alone 
records the vision to Zacharias and to Mary ; the 
supernatural birth ; the raising of the son of the 
widow of Nain ; the account of the forgiveness 
of the woman that was a sinner ; the entertain- 
ment at the house of Martha and Mary ; the ac- 
count of the walk to Emmaus ; and the narrative 
of the ascension. Still more notable is the fact 
that it is Luke alone who gives us any full ac- 
count of Christ's ministry in Perea, with its mar- 
velous treasure of parables, including some of 
those that are the dearest to the Christian 
church, and have been so in all ages. Thus while 
the Gospel of Luke is less systematic in its ar- 
rangement of details, and less chronologically ac- 
curate than that of Matthew, less dramatic than 
that of Mark, and less tender and spiritual than 
that of John, it is more comprehensive than 
either. Luke's Gospel is like a carefully- com- 
piled history of a campaign ; Matthew's and 
John's Gospels are rather like the report of 
single officers who participated in it ; Mark's 



Gospel is like a series of dramatic incidents se- 
lected from the story. 

(3.) Partly, perhaps, because Luke's" especial 
object was to provide a book for the instruction 
of converts, especially in the Greek churches 
founded by Paul's missionary tours, in which 
Luke accompanied him, but yet more, as I think, 
because of Paul's personal influence on Luke, his 
Gospel, more than any other, emphasizes the 
catholicity and universality of Christianity. Mat- 
thew makes predominant the fulfillment of pro- 
phecy ; Mark the manifestation of power ; Luke 
the welcome to all classes and all nations. At 
the beginning the angels declare the advent to be 
good tidings to all people. In the genealogy 
Christ's parentage is traced back to Adam. The 
ministry of Christ in Perea, a half -heathen dis- 
trict of the Holy Land, is narrated. The appoint- 
ment of the seventy, as well as of the twelve, is 
given. The parables of the lost sheep, the lost 
coin, and the prodigal son, and the story of the 
forgiveness of the woman that was a sinner, are 
all peculiar to Luke, and they all emphasize the 
truth that Christ came to seek and save that 
which was lost, wherever the lost may be found. 
The parable of the marriage supper and the call 
of Zaccheus are also found only in his Gospel ; 
the one directly implies the calling of the Gen- 
tiles, while the other strikingly illustrates the 
universality of Christ's invitation. These truths 
are to be found also in the other Gospels ; as the 
power of Christ, and his fulfillment of prophecy, 
are to be found in Luke ; but it is the catholicity 
of Christianity which is predominant in Luke, 
and this is the doctrine, or rather the spirit, 
which we might expect to find predominant in a 
book written by a companion and scribe of the 
Apostle Paul. The parallel between Luke's and 
Paul's accounts of the last supper (Luke 22 ■. 15-20 ; 
1 cor. 11 : 23-25) confirms this impression. 

Time and place of writing. The Gospel of 
Luke was certainly written before the Book of 
Acts, and probably some time previous ; this is 
implied by the language in Acts 1 : 1. The ma- 
terial for it must have been gathered in Pales- 
tine, and therefore presumptively during some 
break in the apostolic journeys in which Luke ac- 
companied Paul. Such a break occurred during 
Paul's two years' imprisonment in Csesarea (Acts 
24 : 26, 27), and though we cannot certainly fix upon 
this as the time and place of writing, it is a reason- 
able surmise that it was mainly prepared, if not 
published, at this time. At all events, assuming 
that the Book of Acts was published on or before 

A. D. 70 (see intro. to Book of Acts), the Gospel of Luke 

must have been completed and published so as to 
have reached Theophilus, and probably to have 
become somewhat known to the churches before 
that time. The original language in which it w,s 
written was undoubtedly Greek. 



THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO 



ST. LUKE. 



CHAPTER I. 

FORASMUCH as many have taken in hand to set 
forth in order a declaration of those things which 
are most surely believed among us, 
2 Even as they delivered them unto us, which from 



the beginning a were eye-* witnesses, and ministers of 
the b word ; 

3 It seemed good to me also, having had perfect un- 
derstanding of all things from the very first, to write 
unto thee in order, c most excellent Theophilus, d 

4 That thou mightest know e the certainty of those 
things wherein thou hast been instructed. 



a John 15 : 27 ; Heb. 2 . 3 ; 1 Pet. 5 : 1 ; 2 Pet. 1 



16 ; 1 John 1:1 b Rom. 

d Acts 1 : 1 e John 20 : Z'. 



15 : 16 ; Ephes. 



4:11, 12.... c Acts 11 : 4.. 



Ch. 1 : 1-4. INTRODUCTION. The object and the 

AUTHENTICITY OP LUKE'S GOSPEL. 

1. Forasmuch as many have taken in 
hand. Who are these many? Not the other 
EvaDgelists, for Matthew and John were them- 
selves eye-witnesses and ministers of the word, 
and Luke in the next verse discriminates the lat- 
ter from the authors with whom he ranks him- 
self. This would leave only Mark to represent 
the many ; and there is abundant evidence to be 
seen as we proceed that Luke had not Mark's 
Gospel before him when he wrote. The implica- 
tion is that there were in the apostolic age writ- 
ten narratives, more or less full, of Christ's dis- 
courses and miracles, and that these narratives 
furnished Luke in part with the material for his 
history. This hypothesis is sustained by the post- 
apostolic writings, which are largely occupied 
with a simple account of Christ's life and teach- 
ings. These fragments of history being absorbed 
in the fuller narratives of our Evangelists were 
not preserved ; but there are indications in the 
patristic literature of the existence of such nar- 
ratives.— To arrange the narrative of the 
events fulfilled among us. Not of the things 
most surely believed, as Alf ord, following our Eng- 
lish version, but of the events fulfilled, as Van 
Oosterzee and Godet. For (1) this latter mean- 
ing better suits the original ; it is indeed capable 
of either translation, but the verb (nfoioocpooiw) 
when applied to persons generally signifies full 
persuasion, but when applied, as here, to things, 
generally signifies complete fulfillment (2 Tim. 
4 : 5). (2. ) It better suits the context ; it is be- 
cause the things are not fully known to Theophi- 
lus that Luke sets them forth, and the addition, 
surely believed among us, weakens rather than 
strengthens his language, and implies a question 
rather than certainty. I believe then with Godet, 
that Luke's language here implies that "these 
events were not simple accidents, but accom- 
plished a precise plan. ' ' Thus Luke, no less than 
Matthew, represents the Gospel as a fulfillment 
of prophecy, though he less frequently refers to 
the prophets. Observe the character of these 
lost documents ; they were narratives {$ir\yr\oi.s) 



not declarations, and they were orderly, histori- 
cal narratives, though not necessarily, and not 
probably, complete. Presumptively, both Luke 
and the other Evangelists made more or less use 
of these fragments ; hence the verbal accord fre- 
quently discerned in their accounts. 

2. Even as unto us they delivered them 
which were from the beginning, etc. A 
second source of Luke's information — viz., 
the eye-witnesses and ministers, including the 
apostles, but not excluding others. Ministers 
(vnijoetijg) is a term applied to John Mark (Acta 
13 : 5), a steward of Paul and Barnabas. It is lit- 
erally under-rower, then under-servant of any de- 
scription. Here, therefore, it signifies persons 
holding position in the primitive church, subor- 
dinate to that of the apostles, whose time was 
probably fully occupied in the work of preach- 
ing, and perhaps organizing the churches, and 
who left the work of reducing to writing the nar- 
rative of Christ's life and teachings to the scribes 
or other subordinates in the church. From the 
beginning is, as in Acts 1 : 21, 22, from the begin- 
ning of Christ's ministry, i. e., his baptism. 
Luke, however, goes back of this beginning to 
the events connected with Christ's birth. 

3, 4. It seemed good to me also. He 
cites their example as a support for his own 
course. The words And to the Holy Spirit, added 
in some unauthentic manuscripts, is recognized 
by all scholars as unquestionably spurious. They 
were probably added by some reverent, but not 
scrupulous scribe, to enfore the doctrine of in- 
spiration. — Having traced out accurately 
all things from the first. Not, Having had a 
perfect understanding, L e., always known them, 
but, Having by personal research examined into 
the truth of every narrative made use of; the 
language implies a careful historical research by 
(1) a comparison of the different narratives, (2) a 
personal inquiry of the eye-witnesses. From the 
very first is, as in Acts 26 : 5, from his youth. It 
implies that this Gospel is the product of a pro- 
tracted investigation and of mature thought. — 
To write to thee in order. In an orderly 
narrative. This does not necessarily imply, how- 



LUKE. 



[Ch. I. 



ever, that Luke followed the chronological order 
with accuracy, or even that he always knew what 
it was. When he differs in chronology from 
Matthew, the presumption is in favor of the eye- 
witnesses rather than of the scribe, who derived 
his information from others. — Most excellent 
Theophilus. Of him nothing is known with 
certainty. The name is Greek, and the person 
was probably of Grecian extraction. The appel- 
lation Most excellent, implies rank as well as char- 
acter. He is mentioned only here and in Acts 
1 : 1. See note there. — That thou mightest 
know the certainty of words concerning 
which thou hast been orally informed. 
Comp. this translation, which is literal, with the 
English version above. The noun which I have 
rendered words (Xoyog) is not to be rendered 
things, a meaning which it never rightfully bears, 
nor (as Alford) histories or accounts, but, liter- 
ally, words, including both the direct teachings 
of Christ and those instructions wbich are in- 
volved in the narrative of his life and works. 
Thou hast been instructed {-/.arr\yhix)) is not catechet- 
ically taught (Alford, Oosterzee), for this ecclesi- 
astical meaning belongs to a later period of 
church history, but orally informed. See on 
Acts 18 : 25. This Gospel then was written for 
those who knew of the life and teachings of 
Jesus only by tradition, and for the purpose of 
giving them a fuller and more accurate knowl- 
edge thereof. 

In respect to this preface, it is to be observed 
(1) that its style is peculiar, the Greek is purer, 
and the diction more labored and formal — facts 
which " may be accounted for, partly because it 
is the composition of the Evangelist himself, and 
not translated from Hebrew sources like the 
rest, and partly because prefaces, especially 
when also dedicatory, are usually in a rounded 
and artificial style. ' ' — ( Alford. ) (2. ) It clearly im- 
plies that Luke himself was not an eye-witness 
of the events which he narrates ; and that the 
sources of his information are (a) the narratives 
of such eye-witnesses ; (&) documentary narra- 
tives, existing in the apostolic churches, of iso- 
lated teachings and events in Christ's ministry ; 
(c) personal research. (3.) His object is to im- 
part systematic instruction and trustworthy in- 
formation to those whose knowledge was imper- 
fect and derived from oral tradition. (4.) The 
name Theophilus indicates that this Gospel was 
written for the Greek rather than for the Jew. 
We may thus expect from its genesis to find it less 
dramatic and pictorial in detail but more calm 
and copious in style than the other three Gos- 
pels, more orderly in its historical arrangement, 
but giving evidence of greater diversity in its 
materials, less accurate in its chronology than 
those of Matthew and John, but more so than 
that of Mark, and of all the Gospels the one most 



adapted to the Gentile world, the one in which 
the Gospel is most prominently set forth as for 
the whole human race. It is therefore fittingly 
called by Oosterzee " The Gospel of Universal 
Humanity," and by Godet, with less carefully 
guarded discrimination, "A treatise on the right 
of the heathen to share in the Messianic King- 
dom founded by Jesus." 

Ch. 1 : 5—25. ANNUNCIATION OF THE BIRTH OF JOHN 
THE BAPTIST. Answer to prater illustrated. — 
The Gospel a message of good cheer. — True 
greatness consists in self-denial, divine inspira- 
TION, Christian work. — The child of prater and 
piett mat receive the holt spirit at his birth.— 
zach arias and abraham compared ; faith in one 
mat be tjnfaith in another.— the unbeliever is 
dumb.— Children are a gift from the Lord. 

Preliminary Note. — The title Gospel of the 
Infancy is appropriately given by Godet to the 
first two chapters of Luke, which may be divided 
as follows : (1) The annunciation of the birth of 
the forerunner (1 : 5-25) ; (2) annunciation of the 
birth of Jesus (1 : 26-38) ; (3) visit of Mary to 
Elizabeth (1 : 39-56) ; (4) birth of the forerunner 
(1 : 57-80) ; (5) birth of Jesus (2 : 1-20) ; (6) cir- 
cumcision and presentation of Jesus in fulfill- 
ment of the law (2 : 21-40) ; (7) development of 
Jesus and first definite recognition of his mission 
(2 : 41-52). This Gospel of the Infancy has become 
the subject of special doubt because (1) only Mat- 
thew and Luke refer to it ; Mark does not, 
though of all writers the most minute and 
graphic ; nor John, though made at the death of 
Christ the custodian of his mother (John 19 : 26). 
Nor are any of the incidents here narrated re- 
ferred to in the subsequent books of the N. T., 
the apostolic addresses in the Acts, or the Epis- 
tles. Moreover, the accounts of Matthew and 
Luke, though not inconsistent, are entirely dif- 
ferent. (2.) In both accounts angelic appear- 
ances are a pre-eminent feature, and the appear- 
ance of angels is one of the most characteristic 
features of legendary narrative. (3.) Neither of 
the accounts are given by eye-witnesses. Luke's 
was avowedly derived from others, either from 
eye-witnesses or from documents already exist- 
ing in the church (see above), and Matthew's 
must have been derived in the same way ; there 
is no indication that he was looking for the Mes- 
siah, or had any especial interest in the promised 
kingdom of God before he was called by Jesus 
from the receipt of custom (Matt. 9 : 9). On the 
other hand, it is to be said (1) that the birth of 
Jesus would naturally be inquired into by his 
biographers, all biographers begin with the 
birth ; Mark's narrative is the briefest, and 
might therefore well omit this section; John's 
was written subsequently to the other three, and, 
probably, with the three before him, he naturally 



Ch. I.] 



LUKE. 



5 "INHERE was, in the days of Herod f the king of 

JL Judaea,' a certain priest named Zacharias, ot the 
course of Abia : " and his wife was of the daughters 
of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. 

6 And they weie both righteous h before God, walk- 



ing in all the commandments and ordinances ' of the 
Lord, blameless. 

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth 
was barren, and they both were now well stricken in 
years. 



f Matt. 2:1 g 1 Chron. 24 : 10 ; Neh. 12 : 4, 17 



.h Gen. 7:1; 1 Kings 9:4; 2 Kings 20 : 3 i 1 Cor. 11 : 2; Phil. 3 



does not repeat what he finds in them, and, in 
fact, there is very little of such repetition. (2. ) 
The particularity of Luke's narrative, the full 
reports of speeches, e.g., the psalms of Elizabeth 
and Zacharias, the song of the angels, the pro- 
phecy of Simeon, etc., all indicate that it was de- 
rived from eye-witnesses, unless it is assumed to 
be an absolute invention ; and the artless nature 
of the narrative, as well as the character of the 
writer, forbids the hypothesis that he invented 
this account of the birth of his Lord. (3.) 
Though dissimilar, Matthew and Luke agree in 
the essential truth— the supernatural birth of 
Jesus Christ of a virgin. Their accounts, there- 
fore, had a common origin though derived 
through different sources ; they agree also with 
the spirit of the other two Gospels, which as- 
sume the supernatural character and origin of 
the subject of their biographies (Mark 1 : 1 ; John i ; 

14, 34; 3: 13; 8 : 58, etc.), With that of the Epistles, 

which, in language more or less explicit, assume 
his superhuman origin (Gai. 4:4; Phil. 2 : 6, 7 ; Heb. 
2 : u), and with the distinct declaration of the 
O. T. prophecy (isaiah 7 : 14). (1.) The appearance 
of angels, however inconsistent with modern ra- 
tionalism, which approximates the ancient Sad- 
ducees in denying either resurrection or spirit 
(Acts 23 : s), is entirely in accordance with the 
general teaching of the Scripture on this subject. 
This is to the effect that there are both good and 

evil angels (Matt. 25 : 31 ; 1 Tim. 5 : 31 ; Jude 6) ; that the 

former are clothed with the celestial body analo- 
gous tO that Of man (Judg. 13 : G ; Mark 16 : 5 ; Acts 1 ! 10) ; 

that their numbers are great and that they pos- 
sess great power (Psalm ss : n ; Matt. 26 : 53) ; that 
they are holy, doing God's will (Heb. 1 : 7, 14) ; that 
they continually environ his people, though only 
at special times and as the result of special en- 
dowment made visible to human eyes (Psalm 68 : 17 ; 
2 Kings 6 : n). The appearance of angels in this 
narrative is in entire consonance with similar ap- 
pearances in O. T. history (Gen. 18: 8; 19 : 1 ; 22 : 11-18 ; 

23 : 12 ; 32 : i, 24) ; is also in entire accordance with 
the general teaching of Scripture respecting the 
reality and mission of angels. On the assump- 
tion of the rationalist that there is neither angel 
nor spirit, of course this narrative must be aban- 
doned as not historical ; but on the assumption of 
the Christian that angels are the messengers of 
God, there is nothing remarkable in the fact that 
they are employed to announce the advent of the 
birth of Jesus and of his forerunner. For har- 
mony of the two accounts of the birth of Jesus in 



Matthew and Luke, see on Matthew, note on the 
Birth of Jesus, p. 64. Luke precedes the ac- 
count of the advent of the Messiah by an account 
of the parentage of John the Baptist and the pro- 
phecy of his birth, an account peculiar to his 
Gospel. 

5. In the days of King Herod. Herodthe 
Great. For account of the Herodian family and 
the character of this Herod see on Matt. 1:1. 
If we could be sure of the exact year of Christ's 
birth, the narrative here would fix approximately 
its date. For the temple was destroyed on the 
ninth day of the fifth month of a. d. 70, i. e., Au- 
gust 1th, and according to the Talmud the first 
priestly course was on duty then. The course of 
Abia was the eighteenth of the twenty-four 
courses in which the priesthood was divided. 
Calculating back, and assuming that Jesus was 
born four years before the date fixed by popular 
chronology for his birth, mother words 4b.c. (see. 
Matt, l : is, note), the course of Abia was in this year 
b. c. 5, from 17th to 23d April, and from 3d to 9th 
Oct., and John the Baptist would be bora nine 
months after, and Jesus probably six months still 
later (ver. 36 \ which would bring the birth of Jesus 
either in July or January. — Zacharias. Noth- 
ing is known of him but the information given of 
his character here. Belonging to the priesthood, 
he possessed none of the priestly vices, but was a 
man of simple and sincere faith, such as happily 
are sometimes to be found in the hierarchy, even 
in the most degenerate days of the church. — Of 
the course of Abia. Or Abijah (i chron. 24 : 10). 
The priesthood Avere divided under David into 
twenty-four courses or classes, which took turns 
in administering the services of the temple, their 
order being fixed by lot, and remaining thereafter 
as thus established (1 chroD. 24 : 7-is). When after 
the Babylonish captivity the people returned to 
Jerusalem, there were found but four courses out 
of the twenty-four, comprising about one thous- 
and each (Ezra 2 : 36-39) ; but they were reorganized 
under the old names into twenty -four courses, and 
a new allotment of their services was made. The 
heads of these courses were the "chief priests," 
so often mentioned in the Bible. Each course 
ministered for one week, from the Sabbath to the 
Sabbath, beginning with the Sabbath morning 
service.— And his wife was of the daughters 
of Aaron. That is, of priestly extraction. 
Observe that the celibacy of the clergy was un- 
known to the ancient Jewish law, as to the prim- 
itive Christian church (1 Cor. 9: 5). — Elizabeth* 



8 



LUKE. 



[Ch. I. 



8 And it came to pass, that while he executed the 
priest's office before God in the order of his course, 

9 According to the custom of the priest's office, his 
lot was J to burn incense when he went into the temple 
of the Lord. 



io And the whole multitude of the people were pray- 
ing without, k at the time of incense. 

ii And there appeared unto him an angel of the 
Lord, standing on the right side of the altar ' of in- 
cense. 



j Exod. 



7,8 k Lev. 16 : 17 , 



1 ; Rev. 8 : 3, 4. 



Mentioned only in the first chapter of Luke. 
She was a relative of Mary (ver. 36). 

6, 7. And they were both righteous in 
the sight of God. For the meaning of this 
phraseology, comp. Rom. 3 : 20 ; 2 Cor. 7 : 12 ; 
Heb. 4 : 13 ; 13 : 21. It distinguished them from 
the priesthood generally, who were corrupt, and 
from the Pharisees, whose righteousness was in 
the sight of men only (ch. 16 •. 15 ; Matt. 6 : l, 2, 5, 16) ; 
and it indicated simplicity of purpose and sincer- 
ity of life. — The commands and ordinances. 
The one indicates rather the moral, the other the 
ceremonial laws. — Blameless. Relatively, not 
absolutely. That absolute sinlessness is not in- 
dicated is evident from the implied rebuke of 
Zacharias in ver. 20. Paul uses the same word 
in respect to himself in Phil. 3:6, " touching the 
righteousness which is in the law blameless," in 
describing his condition at the time when he was 
the " chief of sinners " (1 Tim. 1 : 12, 13, 15). Zacha- 
rias was righteous in the sight of God and Name- 
less in the sight of the people. — Well stricken 
in years. Their age is not known. See on 
ver. 18. 

8-10. Not only was the original assignment of 
the time of service of the twenty-four courses 
determined by lot, but the work of each priest 
in each course was determined in the same man- 
ner — who should kill the sacrifice, who sprinkle 
the blood, who burn the incense, etc. This lot 
was cast every week, the members of the course 
meeting for the purpose in a room in the temple. 
The lot had fallen to Zacharias to burn the in- 
cense. The altar of incense in Solomon's temple 
(and the structure was probably essentially the 
same in Herod's temple), was cedar, overlaid 

With gold (l Kings 6 : 20 ; 1 Chron. 28 : 18) ; it Was a CUblt 

(about two feet) in length and breadth, and two 
cubits high ; it stood in the Holy Place before the 
vail which separated the Holy Place from the 
Holy of Holies. See plan of temple in notes to 
John, ch. 2. The incense itself was a mixture of 
sweet spices, described in Exod. 30 : 34-38 ; it 
was a symbol of prayer (psalm 141 : 2 ; Rev. 5 : 8), and 
when offered by the priest a bell was rung as a 
signal to the people in the courts without, who 
all engaged in prayer in deep silence. To this 
feature of the Jewish ritual reference is supposed 
to be made in Rev. 8 : 1, 3. The whole scene is 
illustrated by an account in Josephus of a vision 
reported to have appeared toHyrcanus, the high- 
priest, when he was alone off ering incense, which 
he " openly declared before all the multitude on 



his coming out of the temple." The incense was 
burnt twice a day, at 9 a. m. and 3 p. m. (Exod. 
so : 7, 8), in a censer, probably a pan for the car- 
riage of the coals, rather than the vase-like ves- 
sel, such as is now used in the Roman Catholic 




PRIEST OTTERING INCENSE. 
Churches (Lev. 10 : 1 ; 16 : 12 ; 2 Chron. 26 : 19). In the 

accompanying illustration the altar is copied 
from an ancient one found at Gebal ; the staves 
were added to correspond to the description in 
Exod. 30 : 1-5. Catholics, in support of the 
modern practice of burning incense, cite the 
example of the Jewish church and the fol- 
lowing passages, Psalm 141 : 2 ; Sol. Song 3:64 
2 Cor. 2 : 14 ; Ephes. 5:2; Rev. 5 : 8-24. By 
Protestant divines it is believed to have been 
borrowed from the heathen churches, in which 
burning incense was common ; and the early 
Christian apologists, Tertullian, Lactantius, and 
others, assert that Christians do not burn in- 
cense. It is asserted by some to have been first 
introduced in the Christian church in the subter- 
ranean services in caverns and catacombs simply 
to purify the air, and that similarly candles were 
introduced to afford light ; but this appears to 
me not probable. 

11-14. There appeared unto him an 
angel. This appearance is the first note in that 
" overture of angels " which introduced Christ 
to the world. An angel announces to Zacharias 
the coming of John the Baptist ; to Mary the 
advent of Christ himself ; then the character and 
superhuman origin of Christ to Joseph ; then to 
the shepherds that he is born ; then to Joseph 



Ch. I.] 



LUKE. 



9 



12 And when Zacharias saw £zV«, he was troubled,™ 
and fear fell upon him. 

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias : 
for thy prayer is heard ; and thy wife Elisabeth shall 
bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. n 

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness ; and many 
shall rejoice at his birth. 

15 For he shall be great? in the sight of the Lord, 
and shall drink 1 neither wine nor strong drink ; and he 



shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even 1 from his 
mother's womb. 

16 And many of the children of Israel shall he turn 
to the Lord their God. 

17 And he s shall go before him in the spirit and 
power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the 
children, and the disobedient to the wisdom c of the just ; 
to make ready a people u prepared for the Lord. 

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall 



m verse 29; Judges 13 : 22. 



60, 63... o verse 58... 
Mark 9 : 12, 13. 



p ch. 
..t Ps 



7 : 28. . . .q Jfi 
111 : 10.... u 



3....r Jer. 1 : 5. . . .s Mai. 4 : 5, 6; Matt. 11 : 14; 



Herod's design ; then again to Joseph the death 

Of Herod (ver. 26 ; ch. 2 : 9 ; Matt. 1 : 20 ; 2:13, 19). On 

the general Scripture teaching respecting angels 
and their appearances to men, see Prel. Note 
above. — He was troubled, agitated ; — aud 
fear fell upon him. * * * Fear uot. Ob- 
serve how the appearance of the heralds of 
Christ, both of his advent and of his resurrection, 
awaken fear, and how the response to the fears 
of man is always "fear not." Comp. ver. 30; 
ch. 2 : 10 ; Mark 16 : 6. The dispensation of awe 
and fear is supplanted by that of love (i John 
4 : is). — Thy prayer is heard. Favorably 
heard (elaaxovw). For the meaning, see Matt. 
6:7; Acts 10 : 31 ; Heb. 5 : 7, where the word 
is the same. A prayer may be heard and yet re- 
fused. The prayer referred to was not for the 
advent of the Messiah, but for a son. This per- 
sonal petition may have united with his prayers 
for the people and the nation. That this was a 
theme of his prayers, and the request to which 
the angel refers, is evident from the completion 
of the sentence. Nor is the surprise of Zacha- 
rias any indication of the reverse. God's gener- 
ous answers are perpetually a surprise to our un- 
belief (Acts 12 : u, 15). — Joy and gladness. Joy 
and rejoicing; one the inward experience, the 
other the outward expression. Observe how 
each annunciation of the advent of the Messiah 
and of his presence is made the occasion for an 
incentive to joy (ver. 32 ; ch. 2 : 10-14 ; Matt. 1 : 21). 
Contrast the disclosure of Jehovah in the O. T. 
to the people (Exod. ch. 19), and see this contrast 
clearly set forth in Heb. 12 : 18-24. 

l^. Great in the sight of the Lord. The 
parents, too, were righteous in the sight of the Lord 
(ve:. 5), who judgeth not according to outward 
appearances, but by the heart (1 Sam. ie : •). The 
nature of this greatness is indicated in what 
follows; he should have dominion over his 
own appetites, the animal nature being subordi- 
nate ; he should be full of the Holy Spirit, 
the spiritual nature being supreme ; and he 
should be faithful in genuine Christian work, 
preparing the way for the coming of the Lord.— 
Neither wine nor strong drink. The former 
the juice of the grape, the latter any fermented 
liquor not made from grapes. Both were for- 
bidden to priests during their service (Lev. 10 : 9), 
and to Nazarites altogether (Numb. 6 : 3). The 



special prohibition here shows the usage of the 
day not to be total abstinence. See Matt. 11 : 18 
for the contrast between John the Baptist and 
Jesus Christ in this respect. — And he shall be 
filled with the Holy Ghost even from his 
mother's womb. From birth. Comp. Ephes. 
5 : 18. The meaning here, as there, is that the 
inspiration and stimulant to the human faculties 
should come from above, not from below, 
through the spiritual, not the animal nature. 
Observe that here is at least one case in which 
the Spirit of God, and therefore, presumptively, 
regeneration is promised from infancy, and that 
in this case the condition of it is (1) godly pa- 
rentage ; (2) a son given in answer to prayer ; 
(3) and by the Nazarite vow consecrated to God 
from infancy. "Why may we not believe that the 
children of godly parents, given in answer to 
prayer, and similarly consecrated, may be habit- 
ually regenerated at birth, and from the mother's 
womb, true children of God ? For he that is least 
in the kingdom of God is greater than John the 
Baptist (Matt. 11 : 11). Evidently here is at least 
one Scripture case of "infant regeneration." 
See also Jer. 1 : 15. 

16, 17. Shall he turn to the Lord their 
God. Of the success of John the Baptist's 
ministry among the common people we have 
abundant evidence in the direct testimony of 
Matthew, Mark, and Luke (Matt. 3 : 5, e ; Mark i.-sj 
Luke 3 : 7, 10) ; in the incidental testimony of John 
(John 1 •. 14) ; in the allusions of Christ to the 
crowds that attended his ministry (Matt. 11 : 7, 12) ; 
in the fear of the Pharisees to cast any reproach 
upon it (Matt. 21 : 25, 26). — Go before him. That 
is, before the Lord their God, in the person of 
the Messiah, who is God manifest in the flesh 
(1 Tim. 3 : ie\ Immanuel, God with us (Matt, i : 23). 
—In the spirit and power of Elijah. The 
reference is to and the quotation from Mai. 
4 : 6, and the language seems to me to imply 
clearly that John the Baptist fulfilled that 
prophecy. Certain Biblical scholars, however, 
regard his coming as only a partial fulfillment, 
and look for a literal second coming of Elijah 
before the second coming of Christ, which ap- 
pears to me to be inconsistent with the angel's 
language here, and with that of Christ in Matt. 
11 : 14 and 17 : 11, 12. See notes there.— To 
turn the hearts of the fathers unto the 



10 



LUKE. 



[Ch. I. 



I know this ? for I v am an old man, and my wife well 
stricken in years. 

iq And the angel, answering, said unto him, I am 
Gabriel,™ that stand in the presence of God • and am 
sent x to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad 
tidings. 

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb,? and not able 
to speak, until the day that these things shall be per- 



formed, because thou believest not my words, which 
shall be fulfilled in their season. 

21 And the people waited for Zacharias, and mar- 
velled that he tarried so long in the temple. 

22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto 
them : and they perceived that he had seen a vision in 
the temple ; for he beckoned unto them, and remained 
speechless. 



Gen. 17 : 17 .... w verse 26 ; Dan. 8 : 16 .... x Heb. 1 : 14 .... y 



children. Either literally, To produce domes- 
tic concord, the disruption of families being one 
of the most common signs of the decay of reli- 
gion in the community, and the beginning of 
moral chaos ; or figuratively, To turn the hearts 
of the fathers, the Israelites, to the Gentiles, the 
children— apostate, prodigal, outcast, but still 
children. This last interpretation, adopted by 
Lightfoot and Oosterzee, is confirmed by Isaiah 
29 : 22 and 63 : 16, in which the Gentiles are 
treated as children, whom Israel, however, did 
not recognize ; by the actual ministry of John 
the Baptist, who preached to the Eoman sol- 
diers and the publicans, as well as to the ortho- 
dox Jews (ch. 3 : 12, 14) ; and by the ministry of 
Elijah, which included prophetically the heathen 
(1 Kings n : 8-16; ch. 4 : 25, 26). This appears to me to 
be the best interpretation. — And the disobe- 
dient in (not to) the wisdom of the just. 
The corresponding language in Malachi is, And 
the heart of the children to their fathers. The 
clause is responsive to the preceding one ; the 
meaning is, He shall bring the Gentiles to accept 
the wisdom of righteousness. This is their in- 
heritance (Rom. 3 : l, 2) ; in accepting it they repu- 
diate the folly of disobedience, which is the 
source of heathenism. " In (h) is joined to a 
verb of motion (to turn), to express the fact that 
this wisdom is a state in which men remain when 
once they have entered it." — (Godet.) Observe 
that righteousness is here, as elsewhere in the 
Bible, accounted the course of wisdom or pru- 
dence, and disobedience one of folly, and that 
the only true basis of peace in the church or 
community is the wisdom of righteousness. 
"Accursed be the peace and unity by which men 
agree among themselves apart from God." — 
(Calvin.)— To make ready a people pre- 
pared for the Lord. This was his mission, 
but it was only partially successful. The com- 
mon people, who heard him gladly, received 
with gladness the Messiah ; the scribes and 
Pharisees, who rejected the forerunner, rejected 
also the King. Several of Christ's disciples 
seem to have been selected from those of John 
the Baptist (John, ch. 1) ; and after the latter' s 
death his own immediate followers turned at 
once to Christ for sympathy (Matt. 14 : 12). 

18. Whereby shall I know this? Evi- 
dently this was not the ecstacy of a visionary 
man, who imagined simply what he desired ; for 



when the promise was made he doubted and 
questioned. His unbelief was not greater than 
that of Abraham (Gen. 15 : 8 ; n ■. 7), whose faith is 
eulogized by Paul (Rom. 4 : 19). But the circum- 
stances were widely different. Abraham stood 
at the beginning of the history of the Church, 
before there had been vouchsafed any signs of 
God's gracious power ; Zacharias at the end of a 
long history of gracious interposition. Abraham 
had just been called out of idolatry, and had yet 
to learn the power and nature of the true God ; 
Zacharias was a priest, and from youth up 
trained in the knowledge and service of God. 
That which was remarkable faith in one was 
inadequate and culpable lack of it in the other. 
What, then, shall be said of our lack of faith, 
who stand unbelieving in this latter-day glory 
of a ripened Christianity ? — For I am an old 
man* The Levites were superannuated at the 
age of fifty (Numb. 8 : 24, 25). According to Light- 
foot, this was held by the rabbis not to apply to 
the priests. It might apply, and still the won- 
der of Zacharias be natural. For if he was ap- 
proaching fifty and had no child, he would not 
hereafter expect one, and there is nothing in the 
narrative to imply that the birth of John the 
Baptist was in any sense miraculous or super- 
natural. 

19-22. I am Gabriel. Only two angels are 
mentioned by name in the Scripture, Gabriel and 
Michael. The former is the revealer of messages 

Of grace tO man (Dan. 8 : 15-18 ; 9 : 21-23; Luke 1 : 26-29) ; 

the latter appears rather in the attitude of ex- 
ecutor Of the divine judgments (Dan. 12 : 1 ; Jude 9; 

Rev. 12 : 7). Thus they represent the two aspects 
in which God is presented to us in the Bible, as 
Redeemer and Judge. It has been said that 
Biblical angelology is derived from the Persians, 
but it preceded the contact of the Jews with the 

far East (Gen. 18 : 2, etc. ; 19 : 1, etc. ; 28 : 12 ; 32 : 24), and is 

more simple ; and religious beliefs do not proceed 
from the complex and elaborate to the simple. — 
Thou shalt be silent and not able to 
speak. The first clause indicates a fact,. silence ; 
the second clause the cause of it, inability to 
speak. There is not, therefore, exactly a repeti- 
tion, though the form of the sentence gives in- 
tensity to the prediction. The dumbness is a 
sign rather than a punishment, though a sign 
that is a punishment for unbelief. — Because he 
tarried so long in the Temple. Where 



Ch. L] 



LUKE. 



11 



23 And it came to pass, that, as soon as the days of 
his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his 
own house. 

24 And after those days, his wife Elisabeth con- 
ceived, and hid herself five months, saying, 

25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the days 
wherein he looked on me, to take 2 away my reproach 
among men. 

26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was 
sent from God, unto a city of Galilee, named Naza- 
reth, 



27 To a virgin a espoused to a man whose name was 
Joseph, of the house of David ; and the virgin's name 
was Mary. 

28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, 
thou that art highly favoured, b the Lord c is with thee : 
blessed art thou among women. 

29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his 
saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation 
this should be. 

30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary ; for 
thou hast found favour wi}h God. 



1 Sam. 1:6; Isa. 54 : 1, 4 . . . . a Matt. 1 : 18 . 



Dan. 9 : 23 .... c Judges 6 : 12. 



probably the priest ordinarily remained only 
long enough to burn the incense. The people 
without were praying at the time, and this delay 
made a delay in the public religious service. — 
They perceived that he had seen a vision. 
By some excitement in his manner or appearance 
in his face. Perhaps his countenance shone like 
that of Moses on descending from the mount, 
and that of Christ after the transfiguration (Exod. 

34 : 29, 30 ; Mark 9 . 15). 

23-25. The days of his ministration. 

The week of his appointed temple service. This 
indicates that he was not, as Ewald, Alford, and 
others suppose from ver. 62, deaf as well as 
dumb ; if so, he could hardly have continued his 
ministrations. — Hid herself five months. 
Lived in retirement, a natural course of conduct. 
This was probably continued until the birth of 
John the Baptist ; the five months are specified 
to designate the time of the annunciation to 
Mary (ver. 36).— To take away my reproach 
among men. To be childless was among the 
Jews, and still is in the Orient, a special mark of 
divine disfavor, and a disgrace as well as a mis- 
fortune. The course of Sarah (Gen. 16 : 1-3) and of 
Rachel (Gen. 30 : i, etc.) strikingly illustrates this 
fact. 

Ch. 1 : 26-80. THE ANNUNCIATION. THE BIRTH OF 
JOHIS THE BAPTIST. The character and the true 
blessedness of the VrRGm Mart (vers. 28-30 ; 42-45 ; 
48,49).— The character and mission of Christ : Sa- 
viour ; Son of God ; King (vers. 31-33).— His super- 
natural birth (ver. 35). — The past providence 
of God the future hope of the godly (vers. 50-55). 
— Man's obedience fulfills God's promise (vers. 
59-64).— A psalm of redemption— The Gospel pro- 
phetically preached (vers. 67-79). 

Comparing the account with that in Matthew, 
the course of events appears to have been as fol- 
lows : First, the annunciation of the birth of 
John the Baptist was made to Zacharias in the 
temple ; then, five months later, the annuncia- 
tion of the birth of Jesus to Mary here described ; 
several months subsequent, and after conception 
has taken place, the fact becomes known to 
Joseph, who supposes his betrothed to have been 
unfaithful, and is determined to put her away, 
but is prevented by the revelation made to him 



in a dream (Matt. 1 : 19-21) ; subsequent to which 
revelation she makes the journey to Elizabeth re- 
corded in this chapter. For fuller chronological 
statement, see note on Birth of Jesus, Matt. ch. 2, 
Vol. I., p. 64. 

26, 27. In the sixth month. After the five 
months referred to in ver. 24, and therefore a little 
more than three months before the birth of John 
the Baptist.— The angel Gabriel. See on ver. 
19. — Named Nazareth. This village, about five 
miles west of Tabor, reposes in a beautiful val- 
ley, secluded by surrounding hills. Sheltered by 
them from the bleaker winds of the north, it lux- 
uriates in the fragrant blossoms and ripened 
fruits, pomegranate, orange, fig, and olive. The 
modern town stands on the site of the ancient 
one, which has, however, been entirely destroyed. 
The present population is about 3,000— Greeks, 
Latins, Maronites, and Moslems. The neighbor- 
ing hill commands a magnificent view of the sur- 
rounding country. From it the traveler may see, 
on the north, the snowy peaks of Hermon ; on the 
east, over the intervening hills, a glimpse of the 
Sea of Galilee ; closer at hand, the Mount of Beati- 
tudes ; and not far distant, Cana, where the water 
was made wine ; Nain, where the widow's son was 
raised ; Endor, where the witch appeared to Saul ; 
Jezreel, the famous residence of Ahab ; and 
Mount Carmel, the retreat of the prophet Elijah. 
" This valley (of Nazareth) was in Israel, just 
what Israel was in the midst of the earth — a 
place at once secluded and open ; a solitary rer 
treat, and a high post of observation, inviting 
meditation, and at the same time affording op- 
portunity for far-reaching views in all direc- 
tions." — (Godet.) — Espoused to a man named 
Joseph. Espousal was a more formal act in 
that age and country than with us. See Matt. 
1 : 18.— Of the house of David. This fact is 
only asserted of Joseph ; but that Mary was also 
of the lineage of David is implied by vers. 32 and 
69, and by Rom. 1 : 3. Comp. Psalm 132 : 11 ; 
and see note on Matt. 1:1. * ; 

28, 29. And the angel came in unto her. 
Perhaps while she was praying. That she was a 
woman of piety is evident from the narrative 
here. — Hail, highly favored; the Lord is 
with thee. Or, The Lord be with thee. The 



12 



LUKE. 



[Ch. L 



31 And, behold, thou d shalt conceive in thy womb, 
and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 

32 He shall be great, e and shall be called the Son f of 
the Highest : and the Lord God shall give unto him 
the throne e of his father David : 



33 And he shail reign over the house of Jacob for 
ever ; and of h his kingdom there shall be no end. 

34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this 
be, seeing I know not a man ? 

35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The 



d Isa. 7 : 14; Matt. 1 : 21 .... e Matt. 12 : 42 .... f Heb. 1 : 



g 2 Sam. 7 : 11, 12 ; Isa. 9 : 6, 1 .... h Dan. 7 : 14, 27 : Micah 4 : 7. 




NAZARETH. 



passage may be rendered either as a declaration 
or as a salutation. — Blessed art thou among 
women. Not, Thou shalt be blessed, i. e., hon- 
ored, by women ; hut, Thou art selected from 
among women to be especially blessed by God. 
Throughout this colloquy there is no hint that 
Mary is other than an ordinary woman ; no sug- 
gestion that she was born without sin or pos- 
sessed a supernatural character ; no basis for the 
reverence paid to her by the Romish church or 
for the dogma of Immaculate Conception. — 
Troubled. Rather, agitated, which is the true 
meaning of the original ; here not merely put in 
trepidation or fear, but subjected to conflicting 
emotions — awe, fear, hope, perplexity. 

30-33. The message of the angel consists of 
four parts : first, a reassurance, Fear not, etc. 
This appearance is a sign of the divine gracious- 
ness and favor, not of divine judgment. Second, 
a promise, Thou shalt bring forth a son. This 
promise is the same as that made to Elizabeth 
through Zacharias, and yet, both in the circum- 
stances of the women and the character of the 
son, foretold how different ! Third, a command, 
Thou shalt call his name Jesus, i. e., Saviour. This 
command was afterwards repeated to Joseph, 



and the reason for it given, "For he shall save 
his people from their sins " (Matt. 1 : 21). Fourth, a 
prophecy, concerning the character of the prom- 
ised son. This last indicates (1) his character, 
He shall be great, %. e., as John the Baptist, "in the 
sight of the Lord " (ver. 15) ; (2) his name, He shall 
be called Son of the Highest, i. e., of God, who is in 
the O. T. often designated as Most High (Numb. 

24 : 16; 2 Sam. 22 : 14 ; Psalm 7 : 17 ; 57 : 2, etc.) ; (3) the Ob- 
ject of his birth, that he may become King, having 
a kingdom without end. Before his birth he is 
heralded as not only Jesus, i. e., Saviour, but as 
King of Israel ; just before his death he declares 
to Pilate that it was as King he came into the 
world ; and the last glimpse which the N. T. af- 
fords of him, in the prophetic vision of John, is 
as King of kings. His own language to Pilate in 
John 18 : 37, interprets the language of the angel 
here, and indicates the nature, both of his king- 
dom and of the allegiance that is due to him— the 
allegiance of the heart and life to absolute truth. 
It is possible that to Mary this prophecy meant 
only that her son, the long-promised Messiah, 
should be temporal King of the Jews, but the 
language itself, "Of his kingdom there shall be 
no end," implies much more. The case is one in 



Ch. L] 



LUKE. 



13 



Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee- therefore also that 
holv thing which shall be born ot thee shall be called 1 
the'Son of God. 

36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also 
conceived a son in her old age : and this is the sixth 
month with her who was called barren. 

37 For J with God nothing shall be impossible. 

38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid k of the 
Lord ; be it unto me according 1 to thy word. And the 
angel departed from her. 

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the 
hill country with haste, into a m city of Juda ; 



40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and sa- 
luted Elisabeth. 

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard 
the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb ; 
and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost : 

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, 
Blessed n art thou among women, and blessed is the 
fruit of thy womb. 

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my 
Lord ° should come to me ? 

44 For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation 
sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb 
for joy. 



i Mark 1:1; John 1 : 34.. ..j Matt. 19 



.kPs. 116: 16. 
John 13 



.IPs. 119 :38.. 



Josh. 21 : 9-11. 



verse 28 ; Judges 5 : 24. . 



which the historical fulfillment adds to the sig- 
nificance of the prophecy ; this is not remark- 
able, since God is always better than even his 
word ; his performance outruns his promises. 

34-37. How shall it be ? Not how ca?i, but 
how shall it be. She does not doubt as Zacharias 
(ver. is), but accepting the prophecy of the angel 
as to the fact, inquires of him as to the man- 
ner of its fulfillment,— The Holy Ghost shall 
come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee. We are 
not to seek an interpretation of this metaphor 
either in the brooding of the bird, protecting her 
eggs, nor in the descent of the Sheckinah upon 
the mountain top, or in the tabernacle, but 
simply to accept it as a delicate way of express- 
ing the fact that the conception should be super- 
natural and miraculous, the life being created by 
the direct interposition of the Spirit of God. As 
the new life in the individual is born of the Holy 
Spirit (John 3 : 5), so is He that is the Life of the 
world. — Therefore, also, that holy one 
which shall be born of thee shall be called 
Son of God. Not, Shall be, but Shall be 
called. The supernatural birth does not consti- 
tute Jesus the Son of God ; it only constitutes 
the reason why he is recognized as such upon the 
earth. He existed before this supernatural birth 
(John 8 : 58 ; n : 5), and the general teaching of Scrip- 
ture implies that the relationship between the 
Father and the Son implied by the phrase " Son 
of God," is not merely temporal and accidental, 
but eternal and inherent. Thus God is here and 
in other passages (pmi. 2:9; Het>. 1 : 9) represented 
as bestowing on the Son authority, and he is 
represented as returning it to the Father when 
his mediatorial work is ended (1 Cor. 15 : 24-28). 
But that he may dwell upon the earth, a phy- 
sical body must be provided for his indwelling ; 
and this was thus supernaturally begotten, be- 
cause it was fitting that the Son of God should 
tabernacle in a body itself born of God ; and thus 
the supernatural birth became to men the evi- 
dence that he was God's only beloved Son ; it did 
not make him so, but it afforded their justifica- 
tion for giving him this title. — Thy cousin 
Elizabeth. The original only indicates a blood 



relative, not the nature of the relationship. — 
Hath conceived. Though Mary has not 
asked for a sign, one is given her. The phrase 
who teas called barren indicates that among her 
friends and relatives all hope of child-bearing for 
her was past. Mary accordingly accepts it as a 
sign from God in attestation of his word and in 
support of her faith.— For with God nothing 
shall be impossible. "The laws of nature 
are not chains which the Divine Legislator has 
laid upon himself ; they are threads which he 
holds in his hand, and which he shortens and 
lengthens at will." — (Oosterzee.) In respect to 
the way in which his word to Mary was fulfilled, 
and the time of the fulfillment, Scripture is 
silent, and reverence for Scripture should be. 
We know too little of the origin of life, which is 
always a new manifestation of divine power and 
grace, to undertake an explanation of the method 
in which this life was imparted by the over- 
shadowing of the Holy Spirit to the mother of 
Jesus. 

38. Xot even the Bible affords a more striking 
illustration of the simplicity of faith than Mary. 
She attests her consecration to her Lord by sur- 
rendering herself to his will and accepting the 
sacred trust of maternity. She does this with 
the knowledge that it must subject her to the 
suspicion of her husband, and to possible es- 
trangement from him, to scandal among her 
neighbors, to the impairing of that fair fame 
which is dearer to the maiden than life itself. 
In fact, her husband did suspect her, and would 
have divorced her but for a divine revelation 
(Matt. 1 : i9-2i); the later rabbinical books accuse 
Mary of a violation of her marriage vows ; and it 
would appear from the innuendoes of Christ's 
accusers that this charge was secretly whispered 
in his own lifetime (John 7 : 27 3 8 : 41). 

39-41. This fact indicates that Mary was a 
woman of no little force of character, for to take 
such a journey alone was an exploit not unat- 
tended with danger. — In those days. About 
that time ; not necessarily immediately. — Into 
the hill country. Of Judah ; the central part, 
an elevated plateau from l,5C0to 2,500 feet above 
the level of the sea, and here employed in dis- 



14 



LUKE. 



[Ch. I. 



45 And blessed is she that believed : for there shall 
be a performance of those things which were told her 
from the Lord. 

46 And Mary said, My p soul doth magnify the Lord, 

47 And my spirit hath rejoiced 1 in God my Saviour. 

48 For he hath regarded the low r estate of his hand- 
maiden : for, behold, from henceforth all generations 
shall call me s blessed. 

49 For he that is mighty' hath done to me great 
things ; u and holy v is his name. 

50 And w his mercy is on them that fear him, from 
generation to generation. 

51 He x hath shewed strength with his arm; he 
hath scattered the y proud in the imagination of their 
hearts. 



52 He z hath put down the mighty from their seats, 
and exalted them of low degree. 

53 He a hath filled the hungry with good things, and 
the rich he hath sent empty away. 

54 He hath holpen his servant Israel, in b remem- 
brance of his mercy ; 

55 As he spake c to our fathers, to Abraham, and to 
his seed for ever. 

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, 
and returned to her own house. 

57 Now Elisabeth's full time came, that she should 
be delivered ; and she brought forth a son. 

58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how 
the Lord had shewed great mercy upon her ; and they d 
rejoiced with her. 



1 Sam. 2:1; Ps. 34 : 2, 3. . . .q Ps. 35 : 9 ; Hab. 3 : 18.... r Ps. 136 :23....s ch. 11 : 27 ; Mai. 3 : 12.... t Gen. 17: 1. ...u Ps.71 : 21; 126 : 2. 
3; Ephes. 3: 20.... v Ps. Ill : 9....w Gen. 17 : 7 ; Exod. 20 : 6 ; Ps. 103: 17.... x Ps. 98 : 1 ; Isa. 51 : 9; 52: 10; 63:5... y 1 Sain. 2:9; 
Dan. 4:37.... z ch. 18 : 14 ; Job 5 : 11.... a 1 Sam. 2:5....b Ps.98:3....c Gen. 17 : 19 ; Ps. 132 : 11.... d verse 14. 



tinction from the plains of Judah bordering 
the sea and the desert. The city is unknown, 
probably was unknown to Luke. The language 
is indicative of his accuracy and truthfulness. 
A writer of myths would have fixed on the site 
of this meeting between Mary and Elizabeth. 
There is no ground for reading The city ofJuttah 
instead of A city of Judah. This is purely con- 
jectural, and without support. — The babe 
leaped in her womb. Possibly, though not 
necessarily, the first manifestation of life. 

42-45. In this ode the language of Elizabeth 
is that of an inspired prophet ; this is evident 
both from the language of the preceding verse 
and from the fact that she had no ordinary 
means of knowing the promise made to Mary. — 
Blessed art thou among women. Among, 
not by; see on ver. 28.— The babe leaped in 
my womb for joy. A poetical expression, 
not to be taken literally, as implying actual con- 
sciousness or emotion in the unborn child. — 
Blessed is she that believed. A character- 
ization of Mary as one whose remarkable trait 
was her faith. — For there shall be a per- 
formance. This is a special prophecy respecting 
Mary ; it is also the enunciation of the great law, 
She that believes is always blessed, for the min- 
istry of grace is upon the principle, "According 
to your faith be it unto you " (Matt. 9 : 29). 

46-55. This hymn of praise has the fragrance 
of the O. T. poetry ; parts of it are probably un- 
consciously borrowed from Psalms, with which 
Mary was from her childhood familiar. Comp. 
the passages cited in the marg. refs., and espe- 
cially the analogous song of Hannah in 1 Sam. 
21 : 1-10. But that belongs to the O. T. and this 
to the N. T. ; in this, therefore, there is none of 
that personal exultation over enemies which 
characterizes the song of Hannah and most of 
the triumphant odes of David. It is a hymn 
only of grace and glory. It consists of three 
clauses : in the first, Mary gives thanks for the 
divine goodness to herself (vers. 46-49) ; in the sec- 
ond, she magnifies the general power and grace 
of God in the whole course of divine providence 



(vers. 50-53) ; in the third, she emphasizes the re- 
demption now afforded to Israel through her. — 
God my Saviour. Her personal Saviour, be- 
cause of her faith in the Jesus promised her. To 
her he is already the One who saves from sin 
those that trust in him (Matt. 1 : 21). — Shall call 
me blessed. This does not justify paying any 
peculiar reverence to the Virgin Mary ; for what 
she declares is simply that all generations shall 
recognize, not her holiness or influence in inter- 
cession, but her happiness in being selected to 
be the mother of the Messiah. — He that is 
mighty. He whose might has no higher mani- 
festation in nature than the creation of man, 
affords the highest manifestation of that divine 
might in the creation of the life of the perfect 
man, Christ Jesus. — And his mercy is on 
them that fear him. Verses 50-53 describe 
God's character as illustrated by his dealings 
with the nations, especially Israel. Analogous 
are such Psalms as 105, 106, 107. "She ascribes 
to the providence or judgments of God what 
ungodly men call the game of fortune." — (Cal- 
vin.)— He hath showed strength with his 
arm. In all the history of Israel. — He hath 
scattered the proud. As the Midianites be- 
fore Gideon, the army of Sennacherib, etc. — He 
hath put down the mighty. As Pharaoh, 
Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar. — And exalted 
them of low degree. As Joseph, Moses, Da- 
vid.— He hath filled the hungry, * * * 
the rich he hath sent empty away. Lit- 
erally true in such contrasts as that of Ahab and 
the woman of Zarephath (1 Kings 17 : 1-14) ; spirit- 
ually fulfilled by Christ in such instances as those 
of the leper and the rich young ruler (Matt. 8 : 1-4 ; 
19 : 16-22).— He hath holpen his servant Israel 
in remembrance of his mercy. Literally, 
Re hath taken hold of Israel his child to remember 
mercy ; i. e., his visitation to Israel is one for the 
purpose of mercy, not of judgment. The words 
as he spake to our fathers should be in parenthe- 
ses. This merciful visitation is in fulfillment of 
ancient prophecy ; but the mercy itself is shown 
to Abraham and to his seed forever. The birth 



Oh. L] 



LUKE. 



15 



59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they 
came to circumcise the child ; and they called him 
Zacharias, after the name of his father. 

60 And his mother answered and said, Not so ; but 
he shall be called John. 

61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kin- 
dred that is called by this name. 

62 And they made signs to his father, how he would 
have him called. 



63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, say- 
ing, His name is e John. And they marvelled all. 

64 And his mouth f was opened immediately, and his 
tongue loosed, and he spake, and praised God. 

65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about 
them : and all these sayings were noised abroad 
throughout all the hill country of Judaea: 

66 And all they that heard them laid them ups in 
their hearts, saying, What manner of child shall this 
be ! And the hand h of the Lord was with him. 



e verse 13 f verse 20 . . . . g ch. 2 : 19, 51 h 



of the Messiah was in fulfillment of a promise to 
the patriarch (Gen. 12 : 1-3 ; 17 : 1-8), as interpreted by 

Paul (Gal. 3 : 16). 

56-58. Now Elizabeth's full time came. 

This would be about three months after Mary's 
visit to her ; and this would perhaps imply that 
Mary remained till John was born, but the 
phraseology which places the account of the 
birth after Mary's departure, implies the re- 
verse. — And they rejoiced with her. "Ori- 
entals rejoice exceedingly over the birth of sons, 
for he is not only to perpetuate the memory of 
his father, but is expected to be the support and 
dependence of his mother, and of the rest of the 
family, in a country where unprotected woman 
is most cruelly oppressed, and the widows and 
the fatherless even of the wealthiest are often 
reduced to penury and want." — (Van Lennep's 
Bible Lands.) For illustration, see Gen. 16 : 4^11 ; 
21 : 8 ; 29 : 32. 

59-64. They came to circumcise the 
child. As enjoined upon all the descendants 
of Abraham (Gen. 17 : 12). The name was given 
then, as it is with us at christening ; the reason 
alleged is that at the institution of circumcision 
the names of Abram and Sara were changed to 
Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17 : 5, 15). Circumcision 
is still practiced among the Jews on their chil- 
dren at the age of eight days ; among the Arabs 
at 13 years, probably from the fact that Ishmael, 
their ancestor, was of that age when circumcised 
(Gen. 17 : 25) m H among other Mohammedans when 
they are able to repeat intelligently the Moslem 
profession of faith, "There is no God but God, 
and Mohammed is his prophet." Baptism ap- 
pears to have been practiced among the Jews 
only on converts from heathenism and their 
families. — His mother answered, No; but 
he shall be called John. Meyer thinks that 
this fact had been supernatu rally communicated 
to her ; Alford thinks not, and supposes that she 
had learned it from her husband. But unless 
her suggestion was the result of a supernatural 
impulse, why should it be reported at all? — 
They made signs to his father. An indica- 
tion that he was deaf as well as dumb. If not, 
he would have heard and understood the confer- 
ence between his wife and his friends. — He 
asked for a writing table. Writing tablets 



among the ancients consisted of a thin piece of 
wood, covered on one side with wax, on which 
the writing was done by means of a stylus, an 
iron instrument resembling a pencil in size and 
shape, sharpened at one end to form the charac- 




WEITING TABLET. 

ters, and made flat and circular at the other, to 
obliterate what had been written when desired. 
The ordinary tablet consisted of two or more 
leaves like the modem school-slate, one side 
only of each leaf being covered with wax, and 
the wooden edge of each leaf being raised to 
prevent the wax sides from rubbing against each 
other. These tablets were used for accounts, 
wills and legal documents, for letters, and by 
pupils in school. Such tablets continued to be 
used down to the middle ages. Another form is 
still used in the East, made of wood ; the stu- 
dents write on them with chalk or charcoal. — 
And they marvelled all. Another indication 
that Zacharias was deaf as well as dumb. 
" There would be nothing wonderful in his ac- 
ceding to his wife's suggestion, if he had known 
it ; the coincidence, apparently without this 
knowledge, was the matter of wonder. "—( Al- 
ford.)— AnA his mouth was opened imme- 
diately. The angelic prophecy (ver. 13) being 
now fulfilled, and partly by the obedience of 
Zacharias himself in naming the babe John. 

65, 66. The supernatural character of John's 
birth and the circumstances attending it, pre- 
pare the way for his ministry. The people, in 
consequence, were ready to believe him a pro- 
phet, and to give heed to him when he began 



16 



LUKE. 



[Oh. I. 



67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy- 
Ghost, and prophesied, saying, 

68 Blessed { be the Lord God of Israel ; for he hath 
visited and redeemed his people, 

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation ■> for us, 
in the house of his servant David ; 

70 As he spake k by the mouth of his holy prophets, 
which have been since the world began : 

71 That we should be saved ' from our enemies, and 
from the hand of all that hate us ■ 

72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, 
and to m remember his holy covenant ; 



73 The oath n which he swore to our father Abra* 
ham, 

74 That he would grant unto us, that we, being de- 
livered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve 
him ° without fear, 

75 In? holiness and righteousness before him, alii 
the days of our life. 

76 And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the 
Highest : for thou shalt go r before the face of the Lord, 
to prepare his ways ; 

77 To give knowledge of salvation unto the people 
by the remission 8 of their sins, 



Ps. 72: 18.... j Ps. Ill :9.. 
nGen. 22 : 16, 17. 



.k Jer. 23 : 5, 6 ; Dan. 9 : 24. . . .1 Isa. 54 : 7-17 ; .Ter. 30 : 10, 11 ... .r 
. .0 Rom. 6 : 22. . . .p Titus 2 : 11, 12 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 14, 15. . . .q Rev. 2 ; 



26 : 42 ; Ps. 105 : 8-10 ; Ezek. 16 : 60. 
.rMal. 3: 1....S Acts 5 : 31. 



preaching. Three elements are mentioned as 
constituting his peculiar fame : (1.) Fear, i. e., 
awe ; a recognition of the supernatural presages 
which accompanied his birth. This is the mean- 
ing often belonging to the word (r/^o/Joc), here 
rendered/ear. (2.) A wide-extended fame. The 
story of his birth went throughout the hill 
country of Judea. God employed especial means 
to prepare for the Messiah the district most 
prejudiced by its education and the influence of 
its hierarchy against Him. (8.) An expectancy. 
The people remembered these events and waited, 
wondering what a child so born would become in 
his manhood. — The hand of the Lord was 
with him. The hand is a symbol of power in 
the Bible ; here the meaning is that the fulfill- 
ment of the promise of ver. 15 was seen even in 
his childhood, and kept alive the wonder and ex- 
pectation of the people. 

67-71. Zacharias was filled with the 
Holy Ghost and prophesied. These words 
characterize the psalm of thanksgiving that fol- 
lows. It is neither, on the one hand, the natural 
esultation of a father and a patriot, who rejoices 
because his son is to take an eminent part in 
what he believes to be simply a political reform 
and become the deliverer of an apostate and op- 
pressed people, nor, on the other, an exposition 
of the Gospel, the full significance of which not 
even the immediate apostles of Christ compre- 
hended till after their Lord's death. It is pro- 
phecy, in which the speaker, inspired by the 
Holy Ghost, uttered what he did not and could 
not fully comprehend, and in which the hopes of 
the temporal kingdom, which Z.acharias shared 
with all the best people of his age, mingled with 
but became prophetic of that spiritual deliver- 
ance which his words foreshadow, and of which 
he must have had some conception. Like all 
prophecy it is clearer to us in the light of its his- 
toric fulfillment than it could have been to him 
who uttered it. — Blessed be the Lord God 
of Israel. The Father who sends the Son, the 
Horn of salvation, the Day-spring from on high, 
and in him visits and redeems his people. — He 
hath visited. The original {k7tiay.i7ttof.iai) in- 
dicates a visit for succor, as in Matt. 25 : 86 ; 
Acts 7 : 23, note ; James 1 : 27. — And redeem- 



ed. Ransomed as from bondage; see John 
8 : 32, 34-36.— And hath raised up a horn of 
salvation for us. For the interpretation of 
this favorite metaphor of power with the Hebrew 
poets, see Deut. 33 : 17 ; Psalm 75 : 10 ; 132 : 17 ; 
Jer. 48 : 25. The symbol is borrowed from the 
animal kingdom, the horn of the bull, the uni- 
corn, the ram, being a prominent weapon both of 
offence and defence, (see Dan. ch. 8 : 3-12, 20-24). 
Hence to " defile the horn in the dust " (job. 16 : 15) 
presents a figure of a dying ox or stag, prostrate, 
with his useless horns covered with dirt. Hence, 
too, the horns of the altar were a refuge to those 
fleeing from enemies, being a symbol of divine 
power (1 Kings 1 : 50 ; 2 : 28). Jesus Christ is not 
only the love and grace but also the power of 
God (Rev. 5 : 12), but a power unto salvation (Rom. 
i : ig) ; the horn is a horn of salvation. — Which 
have been since the world began. The ob- 
ject of all prophecy is the same ; it points for- 
ward through partial and incomplete fulfillments 
to the life, the sufferings, the victory, and the 
final coronation of Jesus as Lord of all. — Salva- 
tion from all our enemies. This qualifies 
and defines the salvation referred to in ver. 69, 
the intermediate clause being parenthetical. 
Thus the passage reads, "Hath raised up a horn 
of salvation * * * (as he spake by the mouth 
of his holy prophets * * *) salvation from our 
enemies," etc. To Zacharias the salvation an- 
ticipated undoubtedly included a deliverance 
from Roman misrule ; but that, even in his 
thought, it included much more is evident from 
the language of vers. 74, 75, where it is combined 
with anticipations of a holy and righteous service 
of God. 

72-75. The oath which he swore to our 
father Abraham. Gen. 24 : 16-18, as interpret- 
ed by Gal. 3 : 13-17.— Might serve him with- 
out fear. See 1 John 4 : 18. Liberty to serve 
God according to the individual conscience, i. e., 
religious liberty in the largest sense, is one of 
Christ's gifts to the world ; it does not date from 
the Puritan settlement of this country. — In 
holiness and righteousness. The one repre- 
sents inward purity, the other outward activity ; 
the one the inward but negative quality, the 
other the outward but affirmative quality ; the 



Ch. II.] 



LUKE. 



17 



78 Through the tender mercy of our God ; whereby 
the dayspring from on high hath visited us, 

79 To l give light to them that sit in darkness and in 
the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way 
of peace. 

80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, 
and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto 
Israel. 



CHAPTER II. 



AND it came to pass in those days, that there went 
out a decree from Csesar Augustus, that all the 
world should be taxed. 

2 {And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius 
was governor of Syria.) 



t Isa. 9 : 2 ; 49 : 9. 



one absence from stain, the other positive ser- 
vice. 

76-80. Called the Prophet of the High- 
est. In contrast with ver. 32, where Jesus is 
called Son of the Highest. The one is the prince, 
the other only the herald. Called, indicates that 
he should not only be a prophet but should be 
recognized as one. See Matt. 14 : 5 ; 21 : 26. — 
To prepare his ways. As indicated in the 
next clause, viz., by giving a knowledge of sal- 
vation, not only a prophecy of its advent but 
also a description of its true nature. See ch. 
3 : 1-18. Christ gives salvation, John only a 
knowledge of salvation. Comp. Matt. 1 : 21.— By 
the remission of their sins. The remainder 
of the sentence embodies the Gospel in brief. It 
promises (1) salvation, (2) not merely political 
but spiritual, a remission of and redemption 
from sin, (3) indicates the cause, the divine 
mercy (comp. John 3 : 16 ; Ephes. 2:4-8); (4) and prom- 
ises the result, light to eyes in darkness, and 
peace to feet straying in paths of sorrow and 
perplexity. Wtereby the day-spring hatJi visited 
should rather be rendered, in which the dawn hath 
visited. Tender mercy is the atmosphere in which 
the Gospel of Christ has its birth and life, as 
spring has its origin in the light and warmth of a 
summer sun ; and it is a dawn to those in dark- 
ness (Isaiah 9:2; Matt. 4 : 15, 16, notes). Them that sit in 

darkness includes the whole human race. Comp. 
Ephes. 2:3; and observe there what is implied 
by the promise here " to guide our feet into the 
way of peace." — The child grew and waxed 
strong in spirit. Comp. ch. 2 : 52, note. The 
one phrase refers to his physical, the other to his 
intellectual and spiritual growth. — In the des- 
erts. The desert of Judea, a sparsely inhabited 
country bordering on the Dead Sea. The word 
indicates an uncultivated, not necessarily sterile, 
region. There is no ground for the surmise that 
John joined the Essines or received his education 
among or from them. Rather the reverse is im- 
plied, namely, that from early youth his educa- 
tion was that of studying and meditating in soli- 
tude, and his only teacher God, interpreted to 
him through nature, the Bible, and the direct in- 
fluence of the Holy Spirit. 



Ch. 2 : 1-20. THE BIRTH OF JESUS. God uses all 

INSTRUMENTS TO FULFILL HIS WILL. — CAESAR UNCON- 
SCIOUSLY PREPARES FOr CHRIST.— THE EARTHLY HU- 



MILIATION AND THE HEAVENLY GLORY OF THE INCAR- 
NATION. — The ftrst preaching of the Gospel.— Its 

RECEPTION IN HEAVEN ; UPON EARTH. 

1,2. Caesar Augustus. Emperor of Rome, 
and immediate successor of Julius Caesar. Ju- 
dea, though not at this time a province of Rome, 
was tributary to her. — That all the world 
should be taxed. Rather, that a census of the 
population should be taken, probably as a pre- 
paration for taxation. By all the world is meant 
not merely all the land of Judea, a meaning 
which the Greek word (olxovuii^) will not bear, 
but the whole Roman Empire. A general survey 
of the Roman Empire, commenced under Julius 
Caesar, had been completed b. c. 12 ; it was fol- 
lowed by Augustus with a more particular survey. 




COIN OF C^SAH AUGUSTUS. 

After his death there was found written by his 
own hand a statistical account of the Empire, in- 
cluding the tributary kingdoms, and embracing 
the number of the citizens, of the allies under 
arms, of the fleets, and of the tributes and taxes. 
The enrollment here described was one prepara- 
tory to some such census and survey of the Em- 
pire. — And this taxing was first made 
when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. 
Cyrenius or Quirinius was governor of Syria for 
a period of 5 years, from the 6th to the lltb year 
after Christ's birth. At that time he took a cen- 
sus of the Holy Land for the purpose of taxa- 
tion, referred to in Acts 5 : 37, and described in 
Josephus's Antiq. 18 : 1. He was sent with Co- 
ponius partly for that purpose. This fact pre- 
sents a chronological difficulty, which has given 
rise to prolonged discussions. Skeptical writers 
argue from it the untrustworthiness of Luke's 



18 



LUKE. 



[Ch. II. 



3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own 
city. 

4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the 
city of Nazareth, into Judsea, unto the city of David, 
which is called Bethlehem, (because he was of the 
house and lineage of David,) 



5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being 
great with child. 

6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days 
were accomplished that she should be delivered. 

7 And she u brought forth her firstborn son, and 
wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a 
manger ; because there was no room for them in the inn. 



u Matt. 1 : 25. 



narrative, on the ground that he puts the enroll- 
ment six years before it really took place. And 
the question of date is not unimportant, for, ac- 
cording to Luke, this enrollment explains how 
Christ, though of Galilean parentage, was born 
in Bethlehem, while Matthew fixes the date of 
the birth during the reign of King Herod, who 
died before the enrollment spoken of by Jo- 
sephus. The principal explanations of this are 
as follows: (1.) For this taxing was first made, 
read This taxing was made before that Cyrenius was 
governor. The Greek is capable of this transla- 
tion, and the same phraseology {7tQwtog with 
gen.) is used by John with this signification. 
The Greek student will do well to compare 
John I : 15, 30 ; 15 : 18 ; Luke 2 : 21. (2.) Some 
scholars read, This taxing was first completed when, 
etc., but this translation (of the verb ylro^at) 
would hardly have been suggested but for the 
purpose of escaping the chronological difficulty. 
(3.) Others read, This taxing itself was first made 
when, etc.; this supposes that the account dis- 
tinguishes between the enrollment at this time 
and the taxing afterwards under Cyrenius. (4.) 
Wordsworth suggests, This enrollment became the 
first when, etc., i. e., after the more famous en- 
rollment six years later ; this was designed to dis- 
tinguish it as the first enrollment, an improbable 
rendering. (5.) Dr. Woolsey (Smithes Bib. Diet., 
art. Cyrenius) argues that the word rendered 
governor, is one of a more general import, and that 
Quirinius may have occupied some special office 
as commissioner, sent on for the very purpose of 
inaugurating this enrollment, and afterwards 
made governor, and completing it. This is not 
improbable. (6.) Zumpt has shown that there is 
some reason to believe that Cyrenius was twice 
governor. This view is maintained at length by 
Alford and approved by Schaff , but doubted by 
Godet. It is unnecessary definitely to decide be- 
tween these various explanations ; it is certain 
that Quirinius was active in an official capacity 
in the East at this time ; there is nothing in his- 
tory inconsistent with the probable supposition 
that the enrollment began at this time, the first 
enrollment ever made of the Jewish population 
under the Koman government ; that it was sus- 
pended owing to the death of Herod and the con- 
sequent political changes ; that it was again in- 
augurated and followed by taxation ; and that 
this completion of it gave rise to the insurrection 



under Judas. Whether the preliminary enroll- 
ment here was under Cyrenius as governor or as 
commissioner, or not under him at all, is a matter 
of secondary importance. 

3-5. And all went to be enrolled. The 
Eoman method of enrolling would have taken 
the names, etc., at the place of residence. But 
Judea was still an independent, though tributary 
kingdom ; the enrollment was therefore taken 
according to Jewish usage, which was adapted 
to the ancient division of tribes and families. 
The Jewish law aimed to preserve the family, 
tribal, and local attachments. Mary naturally 
accompanied him, for, under the Koman law, 
women were subject to a capitation tax. The 
fact that she accompanied him to Bethlehem 
indicates that she too was of the house of David. 

6, 7. Wrapped him in swaddling clothes. 
"As soon as a babe is born it is washed in salted 




SWADDLING CLOTHES. 

water, clothed, and swathed in a long bandage 
or swaddling cloth, three or four inches wide 
and about ten feet long, which is firmly wound 
around it from the neck downward, including 
the arms, which are thus pinioned to its sides, 
so that it can neither stir hand nor foot. This is 
done with the idea of keeping the tender bones 
motionless in a proper position until they ac- 
quire sufficient strength to be allowed to move 
about. It is, moreover, easier for the mother 
to carry the little one on her arm or slung on 
her back." — {Van Lennep's Bible Lands.) The 
modern and ancient Oriental customs are the 
same. The accompanying illustration is from 
an original sketch by A. L. Rawson. — And laid 
him in a manger, because there was no 
room for them in the inn. The Eastern inn 
was ordinarily a caravanserai, more nearly re- 
sembling a Western wagon yard than a modern 



Ch. II.] 



LUKE. 



19 



tavern. The structure, built 
of wood, sunburnt brick, or 
stone, is of one or two sto- 
ries, built around an open 
square. There is a large gate 
in the middle of one of the 
sides, which is closed at 
night. Opposite the en- 
trance is the stable, divided 
into small compartments. 
Drivers sleep here to take 
care of their beasts ; in win- 
ter others prefer the stable, 
on account of the warmth 
produced by the presence of 
the animals. Feeding troughs 
or mangers, as shown in 



the accompanying illustration, are built against 



Is 





AN EASTERN MANGER 



AN EASTERN INN. 

the wall. In the inn proper are rooms for the 
accommodation of guests. The yard is used for 
loading or unloading the beasts. In this in- 
stance, the rooms of the inn being all preoccu- 
pied, Joseph and Mary took a place in the stable 
with the drivers. — In a manger. I see no ade- 
quate reason for not accepting this literally. 
The child was born, and the manger was taken 
for his crib in lieu of a cradle. That he was ex- 
posed in the open court -yard as suggested by 
Sell (usner (Smit7is Bib. Diet., art. Manger) is in- 
herently incredible ; the ordinary interpretation 
agrees with the customs of the Orient. An 
ancient tradition fixes on a cave as the stable in 
which Christ was born, and the spot is one of 
the " holy places " of Palestine. The Church of 
the Nativity marks the supposed site. There is 
nothing incredible in the tradition, for caves 
were used to house both men and beasts ; but it 
is more probable that the stable was one of the 
ordinary sort connected with an Eastern inn. 
The identical manger in which the infant Jesus 
was laid is carefully preserved in the basilica of 
St. Maria Maggiore at Rome, and there displayed 
under the auspices of the pope every Christmas 
day ! The accompanying illustration is from a 
sketch by A. L. Rawson of a manger at an inn 
on the road from Ramleh to Jerusalem. The 
women are carrying water and provisions into 
an upper chamber for the supply of the trav- 
elers, whose animals are feeding below. 

8, 9. Shepherds abiding in the field, 
keeping watch over their flocks. The 
season of the year is unknown, though there are 
indications (see ch. i : 5, note) that it was either July 
or January. The sheep of Palestine are housed at 
night only in the very coldest parts of winter, 
not always even then. The shepherds watch 
them at night, sleeping on the ground or on beds 
made of branches of the trees, and wrapped in 
the heavy cloak or burnoose. The dangers to 
be guarded against are robbers, wolves, and sud- 
den storms.— An angel of the Lord. Not the 



20 



LUKE. 



[Oh. II. 



8 And there were in the same country shepherds 
abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by 
night. 

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, 
and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, 
and they were sore afraid. 

io And the angel said unto them, Fear not : for, be- 
hold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall 
be to all people. 

ii For unto you v is born this day, in the city of Da- 
vid, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 

12 And this shall be a sign unto you : Ye shall find 
the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a 
manger. 



13 And suddenly there was with the angel w a multi- 
tude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, 

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, x 
good will toward men. 

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone 
away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one 
to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and 
see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord 
hath made known unto us. 

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and 
Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 

17 And when they had seen it, they made known 
abroad the saying which was told them concerning 
this child. 






v Isa. 9 : 6 w Ps. 103 : 20, 21 ; 1 Pet. 1:12 x Isa. 57 : 19. 



angel, which signifies a definite person, and gen- 
erally, as I believe, the Lord Jesus Christ. — 
Came to them. Not necessarily nor probably 
in the heavens. More probably in human form, 
and as an earthly companion. This is the form 
in which most angel appearances are represented, 
both in the O. T. and the N. T. (Gen. is : 2 ; 19 : 1, 2 ; 

Josh. 5 : 13 ; Judges 6 : 11, etc. ; Mark 16 : 5, 6; Acts 27 : 23). — 

And the glory of the Lord shone round 
about. The shechinah, the most common 
manifestation of the deity to Israel. See Matt. 
17 : 5, note.— Sore afraid. Literally, Feared a 
great fear. The universal consciousness of sin 
and of unfitness for the eternal world makes all 
mankind afraid of any unexpected disclosure of 
the spiritual world or revelation of the nearness 
of God. 

10-12. Fear not. The first feeling of man 
at the approach of God is fear (Gen. 3 : 10) ; the 
message of the Gospel to him is, Fear not, alike 
when Christ is first revealed to the soul as a 
Saviour born, when he comes to him with succor 
in his sorrow (Matt. 14 : 26, 27), and when he seems 
to have departed and to have left the disciple 
alone in the world (Mark 16 : 6) ; alike in the hour 
of birth, of life-storm, and of death. — I bring 
to you glad tidings of great joy. The 
Greek verb (ivccyyEMZoficu) rendered I bring glad 
tidings is the one from which our word evan- 
gelize is derived. This angel was the first evan- 
gelist. — Which shall be to all the people. 
Notice the definite article, erroneously omitted 
in the English version. The people of Israel is 
meant ; at least the message would be so under- 
stood by the shepherds. A message to all classes 
rather than to all nationalities is indicated. Yet 
the universality of the Gospel is foreshadowed 
in the language of this and the preceding chap- 
ter (ver. 32; ch. 1 : 79, etc.). — For UlltO yOU is boi'll 

this day. Unto you indicates the object of his 
birth. He came into the world, not to do his 
own will, but the will of his Father in heaven, 
which is that not one should perish, but that all 
should have eternal life (Ezek. 33 : 11 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 9). — 
In the city of David. Bethlehem. — A Sa- 
viour which is Christ the Lord. A Saviour 



because he saves his people from their sins (Matt. 
1 : 21) ; Christ, i. <?., the Anointed One, because 
anointed by the Father to be the High-priest for 
the human race (Heb. 1 : 9 ; 10 : 11, 12) ; the Lord be- 
cause creator and king (col. 1 : 16-18). This word 
Lord (y.vQiog) is used continually by Luke as a 
designation of Jehovah (ch. 1 : 6, 9, n, 15, 16, etc.) ; 
hence Alford, and following him Lange, Schaff, 
and Wordsworth : "I see no way of understand- 
ing this Lord (xvotog), but as corresponding to 
the Hebrew Jehovah. " — And this shall be a 
sign unto you. Not only should they find the 
child cradled in a manger, but this would be the 
sign of the Messiahship. The depth of Christ's 
voluntary humiliation is the authentication of 
his divine character and mission. Comp. 1 Cor. 
1 : 22-25. The sign that he is king is the fact 
that he is born in a stable. 

13,14* With the angel. Though not neces- 
sarily in immediate proximity to him ; the angel 
may have appeared on earth as a man ; the host 
in Leaven, luminous and as angels. — Praising 
God. The incarnation is the theme of heaven's 
praise to the Most High. Comp. Rev., ch. 5. — 
Glory to God in the highest, i. e., in the 
highest heavens. — And on earth peace. Be- 
tween Jew and Gentile (Ephes. 2 : 14) ; between man 
and God (2 Cor. 5 : 17-21). But this is the consum- 
mation of Christ's kingdom, not the means by 
which it is established. See Matt. 10 : 34-36 ; 
James 3 : 17. — Good will toward men, i. e., 
good will from God, shown to man in the Gos- 
pel (John 3 : 16). This " good will " is the cause of 
the peace which Christ confers on earth and the 
glory which he inspires in heaven. There is, 
however, a question whether good will is not in 
the genitive {ivdoxlag instead of Ivdozla), and 
governed by men, in which case the clause should 
be read, men of good will. This reading is adopt- 
ed by Schaff (see his note in Lange for his author- 
ities) and Godet. With this reading, the passage 
is interpreted by some scholars, Glory to God in 
the highest and on earth ; peace among men of 
good will ; by others, Glory to God in the high- 
est, peace on earth among men of good will, i. e., 
men of God's good pleasure, men chosen by him. 



Ch. IL] 



LUKE. 



21 



18 And all they that heard it wondered at those 
things which were told them by the shepherds. 

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered 
them in her heart. 

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and prais- 
ing God for all the things that they had heard and seen, 
as it was told unto them. 



21 And when eight days were accomplished y for the 
circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, 
which was so named of the angel z before he was con- 
ceived in the womb. 

22 And when a the days of her purification, according 
to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they brought 
him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord ; 



y Lev. 12 



. z Ch. 1 : 31 ; Matt. 1 : 21 a Lev. 12 : 2, etc. 



But in the uncertainty of textual criticism, the 
received reading appears to me far preferable. 

15-20. Let us now go * * * and see 
this thing. They believe ; their belief leads 
them to verify the message by seeking for the 
promised sign. To go and see is always the cure 
for doubt. (p s . 34 •. 8; John i:46). — They came 
with haste. Observe their zeal. There is 
nothing to indicate how the shepherds found the 
manger from among all the mangers in Bethle- 
hem. Oosterzee conjectures that it was their own 
stable ; Olshausen that they were guided by di- 
vine influence. But the fact of a babe born in a 
stable would be noised abroad in Bethlehem, and 
it could not be difficult to find the holy family 
without supernatural guidance. — They made 
known abroad. Not merely to Joseph and 
Mary ; they published it generally as they had 
opportunity. He that has received the Gospel 
and been brought to his Lord, should make 
known the news to others. Contrast, however, 
the difference in the reception by the shepherds 
and by Mary ; the one publishes, the other medi- 
tates. Both are right ; they illustrate different 
but not inconsistent phases of experience. Pon- 
dering and publishing are both the Christian 
duties. — Kept all these words, not things. 
Guarded them in her memory ; an effort to retain 
the story in the words in which it was given to he)' 
is indicated.— And pondered them. Revolved 
them ; comparing them with one another, that 
she might comprehend the nature of the career 
of the child entrusted to her keeping. May we 
not fairly assume that it was from Mary that the 
account of the angelic appearances in this and the 
preceding chapter, to Zacharias, to herself, and 
to the shepherds, was derived. "The oftener 
we read the 19th verse, the more assured we feel 
that Mary was the first and real author of the 
whole narrative. This pure, simple, and private 
history was composed by her, and preserved for 
a certain time in an oral form, until some on^ 
committed it to writing, whose work fell into the 
hands of Luke, and was reproduced by him in 
Greek."— (Godet.) This opinion is confirmed by 
the Aramaic or Hebrew character, which all 
scholars agree is born by the narrative, which 
bears indubitable indications of having been 
originally composed in Hebrew and translated 
into Greek. 

The Angel's Message. — The angel, who is 
the first Evangelist, affords the first illustration 



of Gospel preaching. His message is (1) Good 
news. Christianity is not a mere re-enactment of 
the moral law, either of the O. T. or of the hu- 
man conscience, but news of salvation to those 
that have broken that law and are under its 
penalty. (2.) Of great joy. Neither conviction of 
sin nor admonition of punishment are the Gospel, 
for these are not messages of great joy ; they are 
the groundwork of preparation for the Gospel. 
The message of salvation to an elect few is not 
the Gospel, for it is the message of anguish to 
many and of joy to none, since none are as- 
sured that it is for them. Nothing is Gos- 
pel that is not joy-producing in those that re- 
ceive it. (3.) To all people; all nations, all ages, 
all classes in society ; this, though not neces- 
sarily involved in the language of the angel here, 
is implied in that of this and the preceding 
chapter. See note on ver. 10. (4.) The cause of 
this joy; the advent of one who is a Saviour, 
saving his people from their sins, the High- 
priest of whom all previous high-priests were 
types, and the incarnation of the unseen Je- 
hovah, Lord as well as Christ. (5.) The attesta- 
tion of his divinity ; the humiliation of his love, 
witnessed by this that he is cradled in a manger. 
The angel's song affords an illustration of the ef- 
fect of the Gospel in heaven and on earth. An 
inspiration of glory in heaven ; a source of 
peace on earth, because a testimony of God's 
good- will to sinners. The shepherd's course af- 
fords an illustration of how the Gospel should be 
received ; with faith, with obedience, with an 
echo of the glad tidings to others who have not 
heard it. 

Ch. 2 : 21-52. THE CONSECRATION AND CHILDHOOD 
OF JESUS. Christ is publicly consecrated to God 
in his infancy.— the christian's expectation op 
death. — Christ revealed from the beginning as a 
Saviour of at.t, men.— He brings a sword as well 
as peace. — a woman hails the advent of the de- 
liverer of women. — she becomes a preacher of 
redemption.— Christ a pattern op childhood : the 
theme of his study is his father's work; he is 
subject to his earthly parents ; his three-fold 

GROWTH. 

The incidents recorded in the rest of this chap- 
ter are peculiar to Luke, who alone gives any 
account of Christ's childhood. The legends in 
the apocryphal Gospels are wholly untrust- 
worthy, and in striking contrast with the sim- 
plicity of the Gospel narrative. 



22 



LUKE. 



[Ch. II. 



23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every b male 
that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord ;) 

24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is 
said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtle doves, or 
two young pigeons. 

25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, 
whose name was Simeon ; and the same man was just 
and c devout, waiting for the consolation" 1 of Israel: 
and the Holy Ghost was upon him. 

26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, 
that he should not see e death before he had seen the 
Lord's Christ 



27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple : and 
when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for 
him after the custom of the law, 

28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed 
God, and said, 

29 Lord, now f lettest thou thy servant depart in 
peace,? according to thy word : 

30 For mine eyes have seen h thy salvation, 

31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all 
people ; 

32 A light to lighten the 1 Gentiles, and the glory 
of thy people Israel. 



bExod. 13: 12; 22:: 



Mark 15 :43.. 


.dlsa. 40: 1. 


..ePs. 89:48; Heb. 11 : ....f Gen. 46: 


6 ; Isa. 52 : 10 


Acts 4:12.. 


.i Isa. 42 ; 6 ; 49 : 6 ; 60 : 3 ; Acts 13 : 4' 



..g Isa. 57 :2; Rev. 14 : 13. 



21. On the customs connected with circum- 
cision, see ch. 1 : 59, note. That Christ sub- 
mitted to circumcision affords no warrant for 
the perpetuation of that ordinance, nor for the 
substitution of another, as baptism, in its stead. 
For he was made subject to the law, that he 
might redeem those from their subjection who 
are by nature under the law (Gal. 4:5). I find no 
warrant in the N. T. for the supposed apostolic 
substitution of baptism for circumcision. But 
Christ's example here does seem to sanction the 
custom of publicly consecrating our children in 
infancy to God, and of receiving them publicly 
into convenant relations with God and the 
church. 

22-24. And when the days of her purifi- 
cation * * * were accomplished. The 
Levitical law (Lev. ch. 12) provided that for a 
month after the circumcision of a child — or for a 
fortnight, in case the babe was a girl — the 
mother was to be regarded as unclean. At the 
end of that time she was to present an offering 
to the Lord ; a lamb for a burnt-offering (i. e., an 
offering of self -consecration), and a pigeon for a 
sin-offering (an atonement). If the parties were 
too poor to provide a lamb, a turtle-dove or 
pigeon might be substituted. The dove-cot was 
a common appendage of the dwellings of even 
the poor, and he who was too poor to have a 
dove-cot of his own might go to the rocky side of 
a ravine and take as many young as he pleased 
from the numerous nests of the wild doves in 
the clefts (jer. 48 : 28). In Mary's case, a dove or 
pigeon appears, from the language of ver. 24, to 
have been substituted for the lamb ; an indi- 
cation of their poverty. The "churching of 
women," a season of thanksgiving for the birth, 
which is maintained in the Roman Catholic and 
Episcopal churches, and is of very early origin, 
is probably derived from this O. T. provision. — 
To present him to the Lord. The original 
law prescribed that the first-born male in every 
family should be consecrated to God, as a priest 

(Exod. 13 : 12 ; 22 : 29 ; Numb. 8 : 17) ; then the LeviteS 

were substituted for the first-born, but as they 
were less in number, provision was made for re- 
deeming the surplus (Numb. 3 •. 4i-5i) ; but subse- 



quently all the first-born were required to be 
presented and redeemed from the priestly ser- 
vice by an offering of five shekels (Numb, is : is, 16). 
It was in accordance with this law that Jesus was 
now presented to be redeemed in the Temple. 
This redemption of the first-born is done away 
with in Christ, since in his kingdom we are all 
called to be priests unto God, made so by and in 

Christ (l Pet. 2:9; Rev. 5 : 10). 

25-32. Whose name was Simeon. Pos- 
sibly the well-known person of that name, the 
father of Gamaliel. But of this there is no other 
evidence than the name, which is a common one. 
— Just and devout. Just in his dealings with 
his fellow-men ; pious in his feelings toward God 
and in his observance of the ceremonial law, the 
two elements recognized in Micah 6:8, as all 
that the Lord requires for the perfection of 
character. Comp. Christ's language in Matt. 
22 : 37-40.— Waiting for the consolation of 
Israel. The Messiah. Comp. Acts 28 : 20. The 
phrase is a common one in Rabbinical literature, 
and was used as a form of adjuration : "So let 
me see the consolation of Israel, if I did not see," 
etc. The whole nation was in a sense expecting 
the advent of the Messiah, but not as Simeon, in 
the maintenance of justice, loving-kindness, and 
devout trust in God. The object of John's 
preaching was to prepare for Christ's coming, 
by bringing the people to ways of justice and 
thoughts of piety (ch. 3 : i-is). — And the Holy 
Ghost was upon him. An evidence that the 
Holy Ghost was not first given at Pentecost and 
after the death and resurrection of Jesus. See 
Acts 2 : 4, note.— And he came by the Spirit, 
Led by the Divine Spirit. — Lettest thou thy 
servant depart in peace. Literally, Let free 
thy servant. He speaks as one to whom this life 
is one of toil and bondage, and the other one of 
rest and liberty ; and he waits for the day of his 
emancipation — the true ideal of the aged Chris- 
tian's anticipation of death. — According to the 
word. The promise made to him by the Spirit 
of God, that he should see the Messiah before 
his death (ver. 26). — Before the face of all 
peoples. The original is plural (tojv Aacuv), not, 
as in our English version, singular. The con- 



Ch. IL] 



LUKE. 



23 



•33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those 
things which were spoken of him. 

34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his 
mother. Behold, this child is set for the fall J and rising 
again of many in Israel ; and for a sign which shall be 
spoken k against ; 

35 (Yea, a sword 1 shall pierce through thy own soul 



also,) that m the thoughts of many hearts may be re- 
vealed. 

36 And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daugh- 
ter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser ; she was of a great 
age, and had lived with an husband seven years from 
her virginity ; 

37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four 



i Isa. 8 : 14 ; Rom. 9 : 32, 33 : 1 Cor. 1 : 23, 24 : 2 Cor. 2:16; 1 Pet. 2 : 7, 

I Cor. 11 : 19. 



; Acts 28 : 22 1 John 19 : 25 m Judges 5 : 15, 



ception of the Gospel as a provision, not for the 
Jewish nation only, but for the whole world, 
is evidently not a later idea, developed by Paul. 
It belongs to and is seen in the germs and buds 
of Christian truth. — A light to lighten the 
Gentiles. See Isaiah 49 : 6; Matt. 4 : 16.— 
The glory of thy people, Israel. We ought 
not to forget that Christ is, according to the 
Scripture, the glory of Israel ; that to the Jew- 
ish nation, his peculiar people, God granted the 
birth of the world's Saviour ; and that to it we 
owe our Light. A superficial view covers the 
Jews with odium because of their crucifixion of 
their Lord ; a prof ounder view recognizes in him 
the glory of Israel. 

33-35. And Joseph and his mother. 
The best MSS. read, His father and his mother ; 
and this is the reading sustained by Alford, Tis- 
chendorf, Tregelles, and Schaff. The latter in- 
terprets it, " The word is of course to be taken, 
not in the physical, but in the legal and popu- 
lar sense." See note on ver. 48. — Is set. Ap- 
pointed by God. The N. T. throughout recog- 
nizes Christ as fulfilling the Father's will, doing 
the Father's business, sent by the Father's ap- 
pointment ; a significant fact, and one not to be 
ignored in any attempt to settle definitely the 
problem of his life, character, and work. See 
ver. 49 ; John 15 : 10 ; 17 : 18 ; Heb. 1 : 9 ; 2 : 9, 
etc. — For the fall and rising again of many 
in Israel. Not for the humiliation, because of 
sin, and the exaltation, because of righteousness. 
Such humiliation before God is not a fall, but a 
rising. The word rendered fall (tttwolc) is 
downfall, overthrow, as in Matt. 7 : 27. Christ 
brought downfall to the hopes of those who ex- 
pected a temporal prince and a political mil- 
lennium, and ruin to those whose desire for the 
kingdom of God was really a personal ambition 
for place and power in it, as the Pharisees, and 
notably Judas Iscariot among his own disciples. 
He brought rising again to those who were will- 
ing that God should overthrow their plans and 
ambitions, and accepted from him the grander 
gift of a universal kingdom, prepared for all 
peoples. Both the fall and the rising are illus- 
trated by the experience of the disciples who, 
after the resurrection, met Christ on the road to 
Emmaus (Luke 24 : 21, 31, 3s). — For a sign which 
shall be spoken against. Because disap- 
pointing all hope of political preferment and 



national exaltation. See John 8 : 48 ; 1 Cor. 
1 : 22, 23. — Yea, a sword shall pierce 
through thine own soul also. Not, as 

Lightfoot, a prediction of Mary's martyrdom; 
nor as Schaff and Wordsworth, a reference to 
her agony on beholding the crucifixion of her 
son ; nor as Alford, a foretelling that she also 
must know the agony of sorrow for sin ; but, as 
the connection implies, a declaration that she 
must know, with others, a rising and falling. 
Her hopes for the emancipation of thenatioD, the 
reformation of the people, the immediate glorifi- 
cation of God through the Son given unto her, 
are destined to be overthrown ; she will hear his 
unambiguous prophecy of the destruction of the 
temple and the holy city, will see him rejected, 
scorned, crucified, will see the nation given over 
to increasing anarchy and corruption and the 
wrath of God, and will rise from her desolation 
in the destruction of all her anticipations only 
when, in answer to the days of prolonged prayer 
(Acts i : 14) the Spirit is poured out upon the 
church, and she, with others, begins to see the 
length and breadth of the kingdom that knows 
no end. — That the thoughts of many hearts 
may be revealed. The object and result of 
this dispensation ; that the worldliness, the sel- 
fishness, the personal ambition of the Jewish as- 
pirations and ambitions may be discovered to 
themselves and to the world ; and the hollowness 
of what passed for piety, but was not, since it 
only covered the spirit of trust in and consecra- 
tion to self. The whole prophecy, then, may be 
thus paraphrased : Behold this child is ap- 
pointed by God to overthrow the hopes of many, 
by disappointing their expectations of a tem- 
poral kingdom ; and to give them resurrection 
again by opening before them the vision of a 
more glorious, a spiritual kingdom ; he will be a 
sign not universally welcomed and accepted, but 
despised and rejected of men ; you yourself shall 
know the agony of withered hopes and a bitter 
disappointment ; and thus by their disappoint- 
ment in a suffering Messiah, by their rejection of 
a Messiah that brings them no political prefer- 
ment, the selfishness of what passes for pious 
thoughts and expectations will be revealed. 

36-38. There was one Anna, a prophet- 
ess. Becognized among the people as speaking 
by the Spirit of God. Eeligious teaching was not 
confined to the male sex either under the 0. T. 



24 



LUKE. 



[Oh. II. 



years, which departed not from the temple, but served 
God with fastings and prayers n night and day. 

38 And she, coming in at that instant, gave thanks 
likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them 
that ° looked for redemption in Jerusalem. 

39 And when they had performed all things accord- 
ing to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, 
to their own city Nazareth. 

40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, 
filled p with wisdom ; and the grace of God was upon 
him 

41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every 1 year 
at the feast of the passover. 

42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up 
to Jerusalem, after the custom of the feast. 



43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they re- 
turned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem ; 
and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. 

44 But they, supposing him to have been in the com- 
pany, went a day's journey ; and they sought him 
among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. 

45 And when they found him not, they turned back 
again to Jerusalem, seeking him. 

46 And it came to pass, that after three days they 
found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doc- 
tors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. 

47 And all that heard him were astonished at his 
understanding r and answers. 

48 And when they saw him, they were amazed : and 
his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus 



n Acts 26 : 7 ; 1 Tim. 5:5 o verse 25. 



. .p verse 52 ; Isa. 11 : 2, 
Matt. 7 : 28 ; Mark 1 ; 



.q Exod. 23 : 15; Deut. 16 
John 7 : 15,46. 



. .r ch. 4 : 22, 32 ; Pa. 119 : ! 



or under the N. T. dispensation, though, from the 
nature of woman's general occupation and du- 
ties, the cases in which she became a recognised 
public teacher of religious truth were rare. See 
2 Kings 22 : 14 ; Acts 18 : 26.— A widow of 
about four score and four years. Or, until 
four score and four ; this is the better reading. 
The implication is, not that she had been a widow 
eighty-eight years, which would make her a cen- 
tenarian, but that eighty-eight was her present 
age. — Which departed not from the tem- 
ple. Exod. 38 : 8, and 1 Sam. 2 : 22, indicates 
that women were employed in some cases about 
the temple ; but whether this was of a strictly 
religious character or consisted in certain subor- 
dinate services, such as washing, repairing of the 
temple fabrics, etc., is not known. There were 
chambers connected with the temple, for the 
priests. One of these may have been assigned by 
them to Anna, as a special mark of honor to a 
recognized prophetess. — Gave thanks to the 
Lord. For the gift of the Messiah. — And 
spake of him. Not merely then. The verb is 
in the imperfect tense, and implies a continued 
habit. From this time she was accustomed to 
speak of him to those who were looking for the 
fulfillment of the divine prophecy of the redemp- 
tion of Israel. 

39, 40. On the growth of Jesus, see on ver. 
52. Before this return to Nazareth occurred the 
visit of the Magi and the flight into Egypt, re- 
corded only by Matthew. It is omitted by Luke, 
possibly because recorded by Matthew, possibly 
because he was ignorant of it. If this was the 
case, however, he could hardly have derived any 
of his information directly from Mary. 

41, 42. Now his parents went every 
year. According to the requirements of Exod. 
23 : H-17. The letter of the law there applies 
only to males ; but according to the school of 
Hillel women were required to go once a year to 
the Passover. — When he was twelve years 
old. A critical age for a Jewish boy. At twelve, 
according to the Jewish legends, Moses left the 
house of Pharaoh's daughter; Samuel heard the 



voice of God ; Solomon judged between the con- 
tending women ; Josiah dreamed of his great 
reformation. He was now required to begin 
learning a trade, to wear his phylacteries, to re- 
ceive the title of "son of the law," and first in- 
curred legal obligations. This was probably the 
first visit of Jesus to Jerusalem. 

43-45. There is nothing incredible or even ex- 
traordinary in the fact that they did not miss the 
boy till the end of the first day's journey. The 
Galilean pilgrims would travel together in a 
caravan, including a large number. In such pil- 
grim bands the women and elderly men are 
mounted ; the younger men walk ; drums and 
timbrels enliven the march ; the caravan stops at 
every spring or well ; dates, melons, cucumbers 
are passed around to refresh the pilgrims ; the 
occasion is one of innocent mirth and festivity ; 
the children walk and play by the side of their 
parents, and wander from one group to another, 
often getting a ride, when wearied, on some camel 
or mule less heavily loaded than the rest. Thus 
the supposition that Jesus was in another part 
of the great caravan was a natural one. 

46, 47. After three days. They had only 
come one day's journey from Jerusalem ; they 
must therefore have prolonged their search for 
some time before going to the temple. See on 
ver. 49.— Of the doctors. The rabbis of the 
law. The great theological schools of Jerusa- 
lem were in connection with the Temple. Such 
an one was that in which Saul of Tarsus was 
educated. (Acts 22 : 3)— Asking them ques- 
tions. "It was the custom in the Jewish 
schools for the scholars to ask questions of their 
teachers ; and a great part of the rabbinical 
books consists of the answers of the rabbis to 
such questions."— (Alford.) The traditional ac- 
count which represents Jesus as teaching the rab- 
bis is neither consistent with the narrative nor 
with Jewish sentiment, which was utterly averse 
to all aspect of forwardness in childhood, nor 
with the spirit of Jesus, which was one of humil- 
ity, not of arrogance or self-assertion. Yet, re- 
calling his questioning of the doctors in the tern- 



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3 



P 



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Ch. IL] 



LUKE. 



25 



dealt with us ? behold, thy father and I have sought 
thee sorrowing. 

49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me ? 
wist ye not that I must be about s my Father's business ? 

50 And they understood not the saying which he 
spake unto them. 



51 And he went down with them, and came to Naza- 
reth, and was subject unto them : but his mother kept l 
all these sayings in her heart. 

52 And Jesus increased" in wisdom and stature, and 
in favour with God and man. 



B John 5 : IT ; 9 : 4 . . . . t verse 19 ; Dan. 7 : 23 a verse 40 ; 1 



pie years later (Matt. chs. 21, 22), and remembering 
that "the child is father to the man," we may 
well believe that the spirituality of his questions 
made them in fact, though not in form, a true 
instruction. Even at twelve, his was not a mind 
to be content with the literalism and superficial- 
ity of Rabbinical interpretations of Scripture. 
It was the depth of spiritual insight, indicated 
by his questions, that astonished them. It is in- 
dicative of his childhood character that the cen- 
tral object of interest in the Temple was not its 
architectural magnificence, its music, and its 
ritual, but its schools, where he might study 
more deeply than in the synagogical schools of 
Nazareth the truths concerning the kingdom and 
the word of God. 

48, 49. Son, why hast thou thus dealt 
with as ? A gentle reproach. The mother 
now, as later, did not comprehend her son. 
(Mark 3 : 21, 31 ; John 2 : 4). — Thy father and I have 
sought thee sorrowing. An indication of the 
historical fidelity of the narrative. A mythical 
writer would not have suffered Mary to speak of 
Joseph as the father of Jesus. Tet this would 
have been her language. For though not his 
true father, he stood in the place of one, and 
would naturally have assumed the title, as 
usually does the step-father, and not infre- 
quently the guardian. But Christ's reply turns 
his mother's thoughts from the seeming to the 
real father. To him Joseph is not father. — 
How is it that ye seek me ? Wist ye not 
that in the affairs of my father I must 
needs he ? Not, Engaged in doing my father's 
business; hut Engaged concerning and interested in 
it. That which, as a child, Jesus had to do with 
his father's business, was to be engaged in study- 
ing it. That which surprises him — for his ques- 
tion indicates surprise — is not that they should 
have sought him, but that they should have 
spent three days in an anxious search along the 
road and in Jerusalem, and not instantly and in- 
tuitively known where to find him, namely, 
studying the truths concerning his Father and 
his Father's work. This very surprise of Jesus 
indicates not only that he was conscious of his 
supernatural birth, but also that he assumed that 
his mother and father knew that he was aware of 
it. 

50, 51. They understood not that say- 
ing. Not that it was meaningless to them ; but 
they did not fully comprehend its meaning. 



Nothing but his life, and death, and resurrection 
could fully interpret either the spirit of self-con- 
secration, implied in these words, or what was 
that business to which he must needs devote 
himself. Do any of us fully understand what it 
is to be about the Father's business ? What this 
implied in Christ? What it implies for us? — 
Was subject unto them. Learning the car- 
penter's trade and working at the carpenter's 
bench (Mark 6 : s). In this willing subjection of 
Christ, despite his real superiority to his peasant 
guardians, and in this cheerful abandonment of 
the congenial life of a student for the uncon- 
genial work of an artisan, is a lesson to the chil- 
dren of our day, who find it difficult to yield, in 
their fancied superiority, to the wisdom of their 
parents. This was a part, not the least part, of 
his chosen humiliation (Gal. 4:4; Phil. 2 : 7). — Kept 
all these sayings in her heart. Treasured 
them up and pondered them; a hint of the 
source whence Luke derived them, if not di- 
rectly, at least through other hands. See on ver. 
19. Joseph is not again in the Gospels. It is 
generally believed, from this circumstance, that 
he died before Christ's public ministry began. 

52. And Jesus increased in wisdom and 
in stature, and in favor with God and 
man. This declaration is not to be modified 
to suit any preconceived theological theories 
concerning the person of Christ. He experi- 
enced a fourfold growth — in stature or age, the 
Greek word tflixla) is capable of either transla- 
tion, in wisdom, in divine approval, and in popu- 
lar favor. There is no difficulty in understand- 
ing the growth in stature and in popular favor ; 
little in comprehending the growth of wisdom — 
for it was one of the elements in the infinite con- 
descension of the Son of God, that he laid aside 
his knowledge and entered into all the conditions 
of mankind, mcluding necessary growth. But 
how should he, who shared the divine glory with 
the Father before the creation of the world (John 
17 : 5), grow in divine favor ? On the ordinary in- 
terpretation of the doctrine of the incarnation 
this is inexplicable to me ; it is equally so on the 
Swedenborgian view, that Christ was the divine 
soul in a human body, and subject to human con- 
ditions. It is comprehensible on the theory 
that Christ was divine because wholly and en- 
tirely subject to the influence of the indwelling 
Spirit of God, his Son, as we are his sons, 
though with a perfection of allegiance and sub- 



LUKE. 



[Oh. Ill 



CHAPTER III. 

NOW in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius 
Csesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, 



and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother 
Philip tetrarch of Itursea, and of the region of Tracho- 
nitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 
2 Annas v and Caiaphas being the high priests, the 



v John 11 : 49, 51 ; 18 : 13 ; Acts 



ordination to his Father's will which we never 
know. But to this interpretation of his charac- 
tei there are grave, if not conclusive objections, 
in the account of his supernatural birth, and in 
the doctrine of his pre-existence. This much is 
certain, from other representations of Scripture, 
that he suffered real temptations ; won his vic- 
tories only after real conflict ; and that in each 
new victory he received anew the approval of his 
Father's love. Comp. Phil. 2:9; Heb. 1 : 9. 



Ch. 3 : 1-18. PREACHING OP JOHN THE BAPTIST. 
The preparation for the Gospel is repentance.— 
The work op the Christian church: to prepare 
for the coming of her King. — The elements in that 
preparation : exaltation ; humiliation ; rectifi- 
CATION ; cultivation.— The promise of the future : 
a salvation universally recognized.— False hope : 
in the virtues of the dead. — true life : in pres- 
ENT practical reform.— Repentance illustrated. 
—The two baptisms : of man, of God. 

This account of the preaching of John the Bap- 
tist is much more fully given by Luke than by 



THE BOLT USD 

-under 




either of the other Evangelists. With the ac- 
count here should, however, be compared that 
in Matt. 3 : 1-12, and notes, and in Mark 1 : 1-8. 
There is an instructive contrast between these 
reports and that of John 1 : 15-36 ; for the rea- 
son of the difference, see notes on the ministry 
of John the Baptist, below. 

1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of 
Tiberius Caesar. The emperor of Rome at the 
birth of Christ was Augustus Csesar (ch. 2 : 1) ; he 
died August 19, 767th year of Rome, i. e., 14r-15, 
A. d. But Tiberius had, for two years previous, 
shared with him his throne, and his reign here is 
probably dated from the time of this joint sov- 
ereignty. Christ was about twenty-nine years of 
age (ver. 23), assuming, as we probably may do, 
that the ministry of John the Baptist preceding 
the baptism of Jesus, lasted for six months or a 
year. A period, therefore, of seventeen or eigh- 
teen years intervenes between the close of the 
second and the beginning of the third chapter. 
Of Christ's life during this time nothing is 
known. He remained at home with his father, 
learned the carpenter's trade, accord- 
ing to an early tradition made plows 
and yokes, probably attended the vil- 
lage school which was connected with 
every synagogue, and where he was 
instructed certainly in the Scripture, 
and probably also in such elements of 
natural science as were taught in the 
ordinary course of education. That 
he did not have any professional or 
Rabbinical training is implied in John 
7 : 15. But though the N. T. passes 
by in silence this part of his life, it is 
not one unimportant in his gracious 
ministry. ' ' We are apt to forget that it 
was during this time that much of the 
great work of the second Adam was 
done. The growing up, through in- 
fancy, childhood, youth, manhood, 
from grace to grace, holiness to holi- 
ness, in subjection, self-denial, and 
love, without one polluting touch of 
sin — this it was which, consummated 
by the three years of active ministry, 
by the Passion, and by the Cross, con- 
stituted 'the obedience of one man,' 
by which many were made righteous. " 
—(Alford.) Pontius Pilate being 
governor, etc. During the time 
which elapsed between Christ's child- 
hood and his public baptism, the 



Ch. Ill] 



LUKE. 



27 



word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in 
the wilderness. 

3 And w he came into all the country about Jordan, 
preaching the baptism of repentance x lor the remission 
of sins ; 

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias 
the prophet/ saying, The voice of one crying in the 



wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his 
paths straight. 

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain 
and hill shall be brought low ; and the crooked shall 
be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made 
smooth ; 

6 And z all flesh shall see the salvation of God. 



w Matt. 3:1; Mark 1:4. 



y Isa. 40 ; 



, z Ps. 98 : 2 ; Isa. 40 : 5 ; 49 : 6 ; 52 : 10; Rom. 10 : 12, 18. 



political constitution of Palestine had undergone 
a radical change. On the death of Herod the 
Great, his kingdom had been apportioned be- 
tween his three sons : Archelaus, with the title 
of ethnarch, received one-half of his father's do- 
minions — Judea, Samaria, and Idumea ; but after 
a reign of ten years was banished, in consequence 
of complaints by his subjects, and his dominions 
were added to the province of Syria. Pontius 
Pilate, its fifth governor, arrived there a. d. 
25, 26, i. e., a little prior to the commencement of 
John's public ministry. Herod Antipas remained 
' tetrarch of Galilee and Perea ; his reign lasted 
forty-two years, and therefore throughout the 
whole ministry of our Lord. Herod Philip re- 
tained for thirty-seven years Iturea, a country 
south-east of the Libanus and Trachonitis, sub- 
stantially the same district as the Argob of the 
O. T. The precise limits of Abilene are not 
known. Its capital, Abila, was eighteen miles 
north of Danrasensand, on the eastern slope of 
the Antilibanus. The student will get a better 
idea of these political divisions from the accom- 
panying map than from any verbal description. 
The Lysanius here mentioned is not to be con- 
founded with the king of that name who was as- 
sassinated thirty-six years before Christ by An- 
thony. It is true that neither Josephus nor 
classic history mentions any later Lysanius, and 
skeptical writers have endeavored to prove that 
Luke is here guilty of a palpable anachronism. 
But recently deciphered inscriptions demonstrate 
that a later Lysanius — probably a descendant of 
the murdered king — was a tetrarch in the time of 
Tiberius. On the life and character of Pontius 
Pilate, see John 19 : 29, note ; on the Herodian 
family, see Matt. 2 : 1, note. 

2. Annas and Caiaphas being the high- 
priests. Sigh-priest (singular) is the better 
reading. The Jews recognized but one high- 
priest, who held his office originally for life ; his 
functions were, however, sometimes divided, 
one officer presiding over the Sanhedrim, the 
other supervising the matters of religion; and 
some traces of this division are found in the 
early history of the Jews (2 Kings 25 : is). Annas 
was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, and was re- 
moved by the B,oman government, and Caiaphas 
appointed in his place. It is probable that the 
Jews did not recognize this substitution, but 
continued to regard Annas as their real high- 



priest, a fact which would explain the language 
here and in Acts 4:6. On the character of both 
Annas and Caiaphas, see notes on John 11 : 47-52 ; 
18 : 13, etc.— A word of God came unto 
John. That is, a special revelation of truth or 
a special inspiration, prompting him to com- 
mence his public ministry. See 1 Kings 12 : 22 ; 
1 Chron. 17 : 3 ; Hosea 1:2; Jonah 1 : 1.— In 
the wilderness. Of Judea; the mountainous 
and broken country along the western borders 
of the Dead Sea. 

3-6. He came into all the country about 
Jordan. The district on either side of the 
river, especially near its mouth. His was ap- 
parently an itinerant ministry. — The baptism 
of repentance. Baptism as a symbol of re- 
pentance. Certainly subsequently, probably 
prior to this time, heathen proselytes were bap- 
tized by immersion, as a sign that they were 
washed of their old errors and entered on a new 
life. John's preaching signified that the old * 
must be washed away for the Jew as well as the 
Gentile. — The words of Esaias the prophet. 
Isaiah 40 : 3-5. On the interpretation of the 
quotation, see Matt. 3 : 3, note. The meta- 
phor is derived from the Oriental practice of 
preparing the highway for the journey of a mon- 
arch ; it is interpreted by the history of Chris- 
tianity, which has lifted up the down-trodden 
and oppressed, brought down the proud and 
haughty, rectified the corrupt and crooked prac- 
tices of society, and smoothed with a genuine 
culture its rudenesses and roughnesses, all as a 
preparation for the final coming of the King. 
When this work of preparation is completed, not 
before, all flesh shall see the salvation of God 
Thus John the Baptist defines the duty of the 
church throughout all ages, a duty of preparing 
for the second and final coming of her King. 
For it is not said that John prepared the way. 
but that he preached that the people should 
prepare the way. The history of Christianity, a 
preparation for the coming of Christ in society, 
indicates also the preparation necessary in the 
individual heart. The depression of ignorance 
and superstition, the exaltation of power and 
pride, crooked and corrupt ways deviating from 
the straight lines of integrity, and rudenesses of 
temper born of deficient human sympathy, are 
all so many obstacles to the coming of the King 
in the soul. 



28 



LUKE. 



[Oh. III. 



7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be 
baptized of him, O a generation of vipers ! who hath 
warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? 

8 Bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance ; 
and begin not to say within yourselves, We have 
Abraham to our father : for I say unto you, That God 
is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abra- 
ham. 

9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the 
trees: every b tree, therefore, which bringeth not forth 
good fruit, is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 

io And the people asked him, saying, What shall we 
do then ? 
ii He answereth and saith unto them, He ° that hath 



two coats, let him impart to him that hath none ; and 
he that hath meat, let him do likewise. 

12 Then came also publicans d to be baptized, and 
said unto him, Master, what shall we do ? 

13 And he said unto them, Exact e no more than that 
which is appointed you. 

14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, say- 
ing, And what shall we do ? And he said unto them, 
Do violence to no man, neither accuse any f falsely ; 
and be content e with your wages. 

15 And as the people were in expectation, and all 
men mused in their hearts of John, whether he were 
the Christ or not ; 

16 John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed 



19. . . .c ch. 11 : 41 ; 2 Cor. 
6: 10.... f Exod. 23: 1 ; 



3 : 14 ; 1 John 
Lev. 19: 11... 



: 17.... d ch. 
1 Tim. 6 : 8. 



7 : 29 ; Matt. 21 : 32. . . .e ch. 19 : 8 ; 1 Co 



7-9. Offspring of vipers. This was espe- 
cially addressed to the Pharisees and Sadducees 
(Matt. 3 : 7), who came to be baptized, but not to re- 
pent ; they were ready for a new ceremonial, but 
not for a new life. The phrase is perhaps inter- 
preted by John 8 : 44, the serpent being a Jew- 
ish symbol of the devil; they are characterized 
as offspring of vipers in contrast with their an- 
cestral pride as children of Abraham. — Bring 
forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repent- 
ance. Practical reformation is the only evi- 
dence which God recognizes of the genuineness 
of repentance (isa. 1 : 10-20). — The axe is laid 
unto the root of the trees. A metaphor in- 
dicating that everything is ready for the execu- 
tion of judgment. Comp. Isa. 52 : 10; 2 Pet. 
3:7. 

10-14. This passage is not the report of a 
single sermon, but a summary embodying the 
spirit of John's teaching at this time. After the 
baptism of Jesus the character of his ministry 
changed, and he proclaimed the Lamb of God 
that taketh away the sins of the world (John 
1 : 29-36). Now, he was not proclaiming the Mes- 
siah, but preparing the way for the Messiah ; 
hence the difference between his answer here 
and that of Jesus in John 6 : 29, and of Paul in 
Acts 16 : 31, to the question, What shall we do ? 
Theirs was the answer of the N. T. ; this was the 
answer of the last of the O. T. prophets. Ob- 
serve the three virtues which John commends, 
generosity, honesty, justice. Comp. Micah 6:8; 
Matt, 23 : 23.— Two coats. Two tunics. The 
inner garment worn next the' skin, generally 
with sleeves, and reaching usually to the knees, 
sometimes to the ankles. It answered to the 
modern shirt or chemise. Two tunics indicates 
but small wealth. Even the poor can spare 
something for the still poorer. The accompa- 
nying picture of a master and servant shows the 
master weai'ing a girdle over his robe, and a coat 
over all, illustrating the wearing of two coats — 
a robe and coat — at the same time. The servant 
has a coat, one only. — Also publicans * * * 
exact no more than that which is ap- 
pointed you. The publicans or tax-gatherers 




MASTER AND SERVANT. 

purchased from the government the right for a 
fixed sum to collect the taxes in a given province 
or district ; their profit depended on what they 
could extort from the people. See Matt. 9 : 9, 
note. Observe how the mere presence of Christ 
in the case of one publican (Luke 19 : s) secured 
more than the preaching of John the Baptist re- 
quired. John demanded only reform in the fu- 
ture ; Zaccheus restored the ill-gotten gains of 
the past.— The soldiers likewise * * * Do 
violence to no man, neither accuse any 
falsely, and be content with your wages. 
Who these soldiers were is uncertain, whether 
armed Jewish police, soldiers in the service of 
King Antipas, or Roman soldiers from Judea. 
In an age when the army looked with contempt 
on the civilians, and the civil was subordinate to 
the military power, acts of violence were com- 
mon ; he whose office it was to protect became 



Ch. III.] 



LUKE. 



29 



baptize you with water ; but one mightier than I com- 
eth, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to un- 
loose : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire : 
17 Whose fan h is in his hand, and he will throughly 



purge his floor, and will 1 gather the wheat into his 
garner; but the J chaff he will burn k with fire un- 
quenchable. 

18 And many other things, in his exhortation, 
preached he unto the people. 



h Jer. 15 : 7 i Micah 4 : 12 ; Matt. 13 



, . . j Ps. 1 : 4 . . . . k Ps. 21 : 9 ; Mark 9 : 44, - 




SLAVE LOOSING SHOE LATCHET. 

an oppressor ; false accusations of disaffection 
were made a means of extorting hush-money, 
and that spirit of military insubordination was 
already rising which ended in making the army 



masters of the empire. John, like Paul, counsels 
every man to abide in his own calling, and to 
work out Christian principles and the Christian 
disposition therein. See 1 Cor. 7 : 21-24. If 
all war were inconsistent with divine law, John 
could not have given this counsel to soldiers. 

15, 16. See Matt. 3 : 11, note. To unloose 
the latchet of a sandal, the thong or strap by 
which it was fastened, was a menial office be- 
longing to a slave. 

17, 18. Whose fan is in his hand. The 
accompanying picture illustrates the Oriental 
method of winnowing, from which this meta- 
phor is taken. The fan was a spade, usually of 
wood or iron, with which the laborer threw up 
the threshed grain against the wind, which car- 
ried away the lighter particles of chaff, leaving 
the grain to fall back upon the floor or earth. 
See further, Matt. 3 : 12, note. 

On the Ministry of John the Baptist. — 
For an admirable study of the character and 
career of John the Baptist, the student is re- 
ferred to a monograph by Dr. Reynolds, pub- 
lished by A. S. Barnes & Co. For a considera- 
tion of the nature and form of his baptism, see 
Matt., ch. 3, p. 72, Note on the Baptism of Jesus 




WINNOWING THE GRAIN. 



30 



LUKE. 



[Ch. III. 



19 But 1 Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him 
for Herodias his brother Philip's wife, and for all the 
evils which Herod had done, 

20 Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in 
prison. 

21 Now when all the people were baptized, it m came 
to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, 
the heaven was opened, 

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape 
like a dove upon him ; and a voice came from heaven, 
which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am 
well pleased. 

23 And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years 
of age, being (as was supposed) the son" of Joseph, 
which was the son of Heli, 

24 Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son 
of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the 
son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 

25 Which was the son of Mattathias, which was the 
son of Amos, which was the son of Naum, which was 
the son of Esli, which was the son of Nagge, 



26 Which was the son of Maath, which was the son 
of Mattathias, which was the son of Semei, which was 
the son of Joseph, which was the son of Juda, 

27 Which was the son of Joanna, which was the son 
of Rhesa, which was the son of Zorobabel, which was 
the son of Salathiel, which was the son of Neri, 

28 Which was the son of Melchi, which was the son 
of Addi, which was the son of Cosam, which was the 
son of Elmodam, which was the son of Er, 

29 Which was the son of Jose, which was the son of 
Eliezer, which was the son of Jorim, which was the son 
of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, 

30 Which was the son of Simeon, which was the son 
of Juda, which was the son of Joseph, which was the 
son of Jonan, which was the son of Eliakim, 

31 Which was the son of Melea, which was the son 
of Menan, which was the son of Mattatha, which was 
the son of Nathan, which was the son of David, 

32 Which was the son of Jesse,P which was the son 
of Obed, which was the son of Booz, which was the son 
of Salmon, which was the son of Naasson, 



13, etc. ; John 1 : 32, etc n Matt. 13 : 

p Ruth 4: 18,22. 



55 ; John 6 : 42. . . .0 Zech. 12 : 12 ; 2 Sam. 5 : 14. 



by John. For account of his imprisonment and 
death, see Matt. 14 : 1-12, notes. Here it must 
suffice briefly to note the characteristics of the 
man and his ministry. (1.) He was inspired 
from his mother's womb (ch. l : is). In the minis- 
try here reported he is expressly described as 
speaking as the word of God came unto him. 
His ministry, therefore, was directly authorized, 
and, if we comprehend aright its relations to the 
past and the future, is instructive and authorita- 
tive. (2.) His position is expressly stated by 
Christ to be that of a prophet and more than a 
prophet (Matt, n •. 9). He was more, because a 
forerunner who immediately preceded the King. 
His character and his early preaching corre- 
sponds with that of the O. T. prophets, of whom 
he was the last ; between whom and the N. T. 
apostles he was a connecting link. Like them, 
he set the religion of a spiritual and moral life 
in contrast with that of sacerdotalism, which the 
priesthood had made the religion of the age. 
He was the Martin Luther of the first century. 
(3.) But, unlike Martin Luther, he knew nothing 
of the free spirit of the Gospel. He was by na- 
ture and by childhood association an ascetic. 
He sought reform, not by a new and divine inspi- 
ration, which he foretold, but which he could 
not minister to others, since it could come only 
through the Messiah, but by a resolute cut- 
ting off of transgressions and of occasions of 
transgression innocent in themselves. Hence he 
preached repentance, not faith ; hence the Naza- 
rite vow in his infancy ; hence his anchorite life 
in the wilderness ; hence his abstinence from all 

SOCial life and enjoyment (chaps. 1 : 15 ; 3:3; Matt. 3:4; 

11 : is). In this respect his life was in striking 
contrast with that of Jesus. (4.) But he was 
not only the last of the O. T. prophets ; he was 
also the first of the N. T. evangelists. The stu- 
dent does not rightly apprehend his ministry 
who does not study the contrast afforded be- 



tween the reports in the Synoptists and the re- 
port in John (John 1 : 15-36). The Synoptists report 
the preaching of John before Jesus had been 
revealed to him as the Messiah. He is, then, a 
preacher of law, duty, moral obligation. He is 
so represented here. He preaches not the Gos- 
pel, but prepares for the Gospel. His preaching 
in Luke exemplifies the declaration of Paul, "By 
the law is the knowledge of sin." After Jesus, 
in the hour of his baptism, is revealed to John 
as the promised Messiah, the character of John's 
preaching changes. He becomes an evangelist ; 
the staple of his preaching is, " Behold the Lamb 
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." 
In Luke he is a preacher of the O. T. ; in John a 
preacher of the N. T. (5.) The effect on the 
people was notable and marked, but apparently 
not permanent. His preaching was attended by 
crowds (Matt. 3:5); he was held in high honor by 
the people, but was rejected by the priesthood 
and the elders of the people (Matt. 21 : 25) ; and out 
of his ministry grew no permanent social or poli- 
tical reform. Its more enduring effect consisted 
in the fact that from his disciples probably a 
majority of Christ's apostles were chosen. Their 
first spiritual impulse came from John. The 
work which he began Christ completed. (6.) An 
instructive lesson is afforded by a comparison of 
the character and career of Elijah and John the 
Baptist, who in character, preaching, practices, 
and even external habits, so resembled each 
other that John's coming was foretold as the 

COming Of Elijah (Mai. 4 : 5, 6 ; Matt. 17 : 10-13). 

Ch. 3 : 19-38. THE IMPRISONMENT OF JOHN. THE 
BAPTISM OF JESUS. HIS GENEALOGY. 

These subjects are treated in the other Evan- 
gelists, where I have considered them at length. 
See references below. 

19, 20. See Matt. 14 : 1-12. Prel. note. Mark 
6 : 14-18, notes. 






Ch. IV.] 



LUKE. 



31 



33 Which was the son of Aminadab, which was the 
son of Aram, which was the son of Esrom, which was 
the son of Phares, which was the son of Juda, 

34 Which was the son of Jacob, which was the son 
of Isaac, which was the son of Abraham^ which was 
the son of Thara, which was the son of Nachor, 

35 Which was the son of Saruch, which was the son 
of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the 
son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, 

36 Which was the son of Cainan, which was the son 
of Arphaxad, r which was the son of Sem, which was 
the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, 8 

37 Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the 
son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was 
the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, 

38 Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of 
Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son 
of God.' 

CHAPTER IV. 

AND n Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned 
from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the 
wilderness, 

2 Being forty days tempted of the deviL And v in 
those days he did eat nothing: and when they were 
ended, he afterward hungered. 

3 And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of 
God, command this stone that it be made bread. 

4 And Jesus answered him, saying, It w is written,- 



That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 
word of God. 

5 And the devil, taking him up into an high "moun- 
tain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world 
in a moment of time. 

6 And the devil said unto him, All this power will I 
give thee, and the glory of them : for x that is delivered 
unto me ; and to whomsoever I will I give it. 

7 If thou, therefore, wilt worship me, all shall be 
thme. 

8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee 
behind me, Satan : for? it is written, Thou shalt wor- 
ship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

9 And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on 
a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be 
the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence : 

10 For it is written, He z shall give his angels charge 
over thee, to keep thee ; 

11 And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest 
at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 

12 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, It is said, 
Thou a shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 

13 And when the devil had ended all the b tempta- 
tion, he departed from him for a season. 

14 And Jesus c returned in the power of the Spirit 
into Galilee : and there went out a fame of him through 
all the region round about. 

15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glori- 
fied of all. 

16 And he came to Nazareth, d where he had been 



qGen. 11 : 24-26.... r Gen. 11 : 12.... s Gen. 5 : 25.... t Gen. 1 : 26 ; 2:7; Isa. 64 : 8; 1 Cor. 15 : 45, 47... u verse 14; Matt. 4 : 1, etc. ; Mark 
1 : 12, etc....v Exod- 34 : 28 ; 1 Kings 19 : 8... w Deut. 8 : 3....X John 12 : 31 ; 14 : 30 ; Ephes. 2:2; Rev. 13 : 2, 7....V Deut. 6 : 13 : 
10: 20.... z Pa. 91: 11... a Deut. 6 : 16....bHeb. 2 : 17, 18 : 4 : 15.. ..c John 4 : 43; Ac is 10 : 37. ...d Matt. 2: 23. 



21, 22. See Matt. 3 : 13-17, notes. 

23-38. This genealogical register differs wide- 
ly from that given by Matthew (Matt, i : i-n). On 
the differences and the most probable reconcilia- 
tion, see notes there. Godet and Oosterzee, fol- 
lowing Wiessler, regard Luke's genealogy as that 
of Mary, and render verse 23 thus : Being, as was 
supposed, the son of Joseph (in reality) the son of 
Heli. They thus supposed Heli to have been 
Mary's father, and put in the place of Mary, be- 
cause the Jewish sentiment did not allow the 
mention of the mother in the genealogical re- 
gister. This view is controverted by Alford, 
Meyer, and Lord Hervey, and is, I think, less 
satisfactory on the whole than the explanation 
suggested in the notes on Matthew, that the one 
register gives the regal, the other the natural 
descent — though both hypotheses are attended 
with difficulties. 



Ch. 4 : 1-13. Temptation of Jesus Christ. 
—Matt. 4 : 1-11 ; Mark 1 : 12, 13. See notes on 
Matthew. He did eat nothing, implies the sever- 
ity of the fast, and is peculiar to Luke. The 
order of the temptations here differs from that 
in Matthew, which there is little reason to doubt 
is the correct one. 

Ch. 4 ; 14-32. CHRIST'S PREACHING AND REJECTION 
AT NAZARETH. The power op Christ the power of 
the Spirit. — Christ's practice op Sabbath observ- 
ance. — The office and work of Christ epito- 
mized. — The rjNrvERSALiTT op Christianity. — 
Words of grace hateful to the graceless. 

Alford and Olshausen regard the incident here 



identical with that recorded in Matt. 13 : 53-58 ; 
in this they differ from most harmonists ; and 
though the chronology is difficult it seems to me 
that the reasons for supposing that Christ was 
twice rejected by the Nazarenes, outweigh those 
for identifying this rejection with that recorded 
by Matthew. There is nothing incredible in the 
supposition that Christ, once rejected, returned a 
second time to bless his home ; that the first re- 
jection should have been followed by a second, 
less vehement, because tempered by a natural 
pride in the increasing fame of their fellow- 
townsman ; and that he marveled at their per- 
sistence in unbelief (Mark 6 : 6). On the other 
hand, variations in the two accounts are so 
considerable as to suggest two analogous inci- 
dents. In Luke, Jesus appears to be alone ; in 
Mark, (Mark 6 : 1) his disciples accompany him ; in 
Luke, he is attacked by a mob, and barely es- 
capes threatened death ; in Mark (Mark 6 : 5), he 
remains and heals some sick ; in Luke, the inci- 
dent is apparently introduced, partly to explain 
his change of residence from Nazareth to Caper- 
naum, stated by Matthew, without explanation, 
in ch. 4 : 13 ; in Mark, he leaves Nazareth only 
to teach in the villages round about (Mark 6 : 6). 

14, 15. For the events between the tempta- 
tion and this Galilean ministry, see Matt. 4 : 12, 
note. — In the power of the Spirit. The 
power of Christ is represented in the N. T. as de- 
rived from the indwelling of the Father or the 
Spirit (John 14 : 9, 10 ; 17 : 2-22) ; no clear distinction 
between the persons of the Godhead being main- 
tained by the N. T. writers.— There went out 



32 



LUKE. 



[Oh. IV. 



brought up : and, as his custom was, he e went into 
the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for 
to read. 

17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the 
prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, 
he found the place where it was written, 

18 The f Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he 
hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor ; he 
hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, e to preach de- 



liverance to the captives, and recovering h of sight to 
the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 1 

19 To preach the acceptable J year of the Lord. 

20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to 
the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them 
that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 

21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this 
scripture fulfilled in your ears. 

22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the 



e Matt. 13 : 54 ; John 



20; Acts 13: 14; 17 : 2....f Isa. 
h Ps. 146 : 8 ; Isa. 29 : 18 i I 



1 : l....g 2 Chron. 34 : 27 ; Ps. 34 : 18 ; 51 : 17 ; 147 : 3 ; Isa. 57: 15.... 
, 42 : 3 ; Matt. 12 : 20 j Isa. 61 : 2 ; 63 : 4. 



a fame of him ; the extent of it is indicated in 
Matt. 4 : 25 ; the cause of it in John 2 : 23. — 
And he taught in their synagogues. The 

subject-matter of his preaching was a continua- 
tion of John the Baptist's message: "Repent, 
for the kingdom of heaven is at hand " (Matt. 4 : n). 
On the synagogues, their government, and order 
of service, see Matt. 1 : 23, note. — Being hon- 
ored by all. At this time his ministry was 
simply that of a herald announcing the glad 
tidings of a coming kingdom ; later came the de- 
claration of the truths that it was a spiritual 
kingdom, wrought out through suffering and 
self-sacrifice, for the whole human race— truths 
unpalatable to Jewish prejudice and pride. 

16, 17. As his custom was. Corrupt as 
was the Jewish church Christ continued to wor- 
ship and to preach in the synagogues till he was 
driven out from them. — On the Sabbath day. 
Note that Christ was accustomed to observe the 
Sabbath as a day for religious worship and in- 
struction as well as for rest.— Stood up for to 
read. That is, stood up in the congregation to 
indicate his desire to read and comment on some 
passage of O. T. Scripture. It was customary to 
allow any Jewish rabbi or recognized prophet to 
take the synagogue service as an occasion for the 
exposition of his views of Scripture. See Acts 
13 : 15, note. The fame of Christ was a sufficient 
reason for the permission accorded to him by the 
rules of the synagogue. — Book of the prophet 
Esaias. Isaiah. The quotation is from ch. 
61 : 1-3, and agrees substantially with the septu- 
agint version. " The meaning of this prophetic 
citation may be better seen when we remember 
that it stands in the middle of the third great 
division of the book of Isaiah (chaps. 49-66), that, 
viz., which comprises the prophecies of the per- 
son, office, sufferings, triumph, and church of 
the Messiah ; and thus, by implication, an- 
nounces the fulfillment of all that went before, 
in him who then addresses them." — (Alford.) 
The book was undoubtedly a roll of parchment, 
comprising Isaiah, either alone or with some of the 
other prophetical books ; of its form the reader 
may get a just idea from the accompanying il- 
lustration. The 0. T. is kept in this form in the 
Jewish synagogues to the present day. No con- 
clusion can be drawn as to the date of the inci- 
dent here recorded, from the passage selected by 




ANCIENT BOOK. 



Christ, because, (1) though the O. T. was divided 
into reading lessons, one for each Sabbath, analo- 
gous to those of the Episcopalian ritual, it is by 
no means certain that the present rabbinical di- 
visions existed in the time of Christ ; (2) appa- 
rently the selection of Scripture was made by 
Christ for a specific purpose, not by the ruler of 
the synagogue. 

18, 19. The language of Isaiah, here quoted, 
is not by accommodation applied by Christ to 
himself, but was originally employed by Isaiah 
prophetically of the Messiah. This is evident, 
because the mission here defined was not Isa- 
iah's, and was Christ's. It is to be interpreted 
both literally and spiritually. Christianity is a 
gospel to the poor, whom it has elevated by stim- 
ulating industry and by diffusing wealth ; it is 
comfort to the broken-hearted, whom it bids not 
to sorrow as others who are without hope ; it is 
deliverance to the captives, having abolished 
slavery throughout Christendom; it is the re- 
covery of sight to the blind, who were special 
objects of Christ's earthly ministry of mercy ; it 
set at liberty the bruised, i. e., the oppressed ; 
the religion of the N. T. having been always the 
precursor of civil liberty and the basis of free in- 
stitutions. But it is also glad tidings to the poor 
in spirit (Matt. 5 •. 3), healing to the contrite in 
heart (isaiah 66 : 2), deliverance to those who are 
captives unto sin (join 8 : 34-36), spiritual sight to 
the spiritually blind (John 9 : 39-41) ; and freedom 
from bondage to the yoke of conscience and the 
law, by that freedom wherewith Christ makes 
free (Gai. 5 : 1). — To preach the acceptable 
year of the Lord. Rather acceptable era; i. e., 
the whole period of gracious ministry begun with 




JESUS IN THE SYNAGOGUE. 

'jlnd there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias." 



Oh. IV.] 



LUKE. 



83 



gracious k words which proceeded out of his mouth. 
And they said, Is 1 not this Joseph's son ? 

23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto 
me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever 
we have heard done in Capernaum, m do also here in 
thy country. 

24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No n prophet 
is accepted in his own country. 

25 But I tell you of a truth, many ° widows were in 



Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut 
up p three years and six months, when great famine 
was throughout all the land ; 

26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto 
Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a 
widow. 

27 And 1 many lepers were in Israel in the time of 
Eliseus the prophet • and none of them was cleansed; 
saving Naaman the Syrian. 



k ch. 2 : 47 ; Ps. 45 : 2 ; Isa. 50 : 4 ; Matt. 13 : 54 ; Mark 6 : 2. . . .1 John 6 : 42. . . .m Matt. 4:13; 11 
o 1 Kings 17 : 9 p James 5 : 17 q 2 Kings 5 : 14. 



Matt. 13:57; John4:< 



the advent of Christ, hut not completed till his 
second coming and final triumph. 
20-22. Gave it again to the minister. 

To the officer of the synagogue, who had charge 
of the books as well as of the building. His 
duties were partly of a sacred, partly of a secu- 
lar character ; his office corresponded with that 
of the modern sexton ; but he was also often the 
teacher of the synagogical school. — And sat 
down. The Jewish rabbis taught sitting. — 
And the eyes * * ' * were fastened on 
him. An indication of that peculiar power 
which secures to the true orator the attention of 
his audience before he begins to speak. Comp. 
Acts 6 : 15.— And he began to say to them. 
The report of this sermon is not verbatim. The 
first part of his discourse was given to an exposi- 
tion of his own ministry, as a fulfillment of this 
prophecy, and probably occupied some time. 
The narrator passes over this introduction 
briefly ; his object is to give only so much fully 
as is necessary to explain the expulsion of Christ 
from his home in Nazareth. — And all bare 
him Avitness. Bore unconscious witness to 
the power of Christ, by their attention, and by 
their whispered exclamations of wonder. So 
later, even the soldiers sent to arrest Christ, 
bore witness to his power (John 7 : 46). — And 
wondered at the words of grace. The 
reference is to his grace in manner, not to his 
doctrine ; for the universality of divine grace 
which he preached angered them. What they 
were astounded at was that the " carpenter's 
son" could speak with such ease and grace, hav- 
ing never received the rabbinical education. So 
the Jews were astounded at his teaching in Je- 
rusalem, who had never learned in their prepar- 
atory Schools (John 7 : 15). 

23, 24. The meaning appears to be this. The 
people had heard the fame of Christ's works in 
Capernaum, as there they had heard of the fame 
of his works in Jerusalem (John 4 : 45). They were 
skeptical, because to them he was only a peas- 
ant's son ; they knew him to be of obscure pa- 
rentage ; his father was dead, and had, perhaps, 
left his mother in poverty ; this suspicious skep- 
ticism was aggravated by their jealousy of Caper- 
naum. He read their thoughts and interpreted 
them. They would have had him first improve 
his own condition, and not claim to be the Prince 



of Israel while living on the fare and wearing the 
attire of the common class of laborers ; and they 
would have had him confer fame on his own vil- 
lage, not go away to confer it upon other towns 
by working miracles, where he was little known. 
He answered the proverb they would have quoted 
to him by another, -'No prophet is accepted in 
his own country." He then proceeded to illus- 
trate the truth, that grace follows faith, not 
nationality, and is denied to the unbelieving 
Jew and granted to the believing Gentile, by 
two striking instances in O. T. history. 

25-27. This is the first intimation of the ex- 
tension of the Gospel to the heathen. Observe 
how skillfully Christ presents this truth, so un- 
palatable to the Jewish people. He does so by 
implication, not by assertion, and by a simple 
recitation of their own O. T. history, leaving 
them to draw their own deductions. As Elijah 
gave food by a miracle to the heathen widow of 
Sarepta, and Elisha to the heathen captain of 
Syria, so Christ will break to the Gentile the 
bread of life, which the Jew rejects, and heal the 
sinner who comes to him from outcast nations. 
And it is still true that his grace is often rejected 
by those who seem the nearest to it, and is ac- 
cepted by those who seem the most remote. — 
Three years and six months. So in Jas. 
5 : 17. 1 Kings 17 : 1, and 1 Kings 18 : 1, have 
been thought to imply that the drought lasted 
less than three years ; but this is not a necessary 
implication. In the former passage Elijah pro- 
phesies to Ahab the coming drought, and in the 
latter, " in the third year," is sent to foretell the 
rain. But this phrase, "third year," may mea'u 
either the third from the prophecy, or the third of 
the drought ; and if the former there would be 
no reason to believe that the drought had lasted 
only three years, for the expression of Elijah In 
giving the prophecy of the drought, is consistent 
with the idea that it had already lasted some time 
before the prophet warned Ahab of its continu- 
ance. It is evident from Christ's language here, 
and that of James, that the Jews generally under- 
stood from the account that the drought lasted 
over three years. — Sarepta. Same as Zarephath 
(1 Kings 17 : 9, 10), the modern Suraf end. It lay be- 
tween Tyre and Sidon, on the Phoenician coast. 
The modern village is about a mile from the 
ruins of the ancient one. For good description 



34 



LUKE. 



[Ch. IV. 



28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard 
these things, were filled with wrath, 

29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and 
led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city 
was built, that they might cast him down r headlong. 

30 But he, passing 8 through the midst of them, went 
his way ; 

31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, 
and taught them on the sabbath days. 

32 And they were astonished at his doctrine : for his 
word was with l power. 

. 33 And u in the synagogue there was a man, which 
had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a 
loud voice, 



34 Saying, Let us alone ; what v have we to do with 
thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art thou come to destroy 
us? I w know thee who thou art ; the x Holy One of 
God. 

35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, 
and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown 
him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. 

36 And they were all amazed, and spake among 
themselves, saying, What a word is this ! for with au- 
thority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, 
and y they come out. 

37 And the fame of him went out into every place 
of the country round about. 

38 And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered 



T Ps. 37 : 14, 32, 



10 : 39. . . .t Jer. 23 : 29 ; Matt. 7 : 28, 29 ; Titus 2:15; Heb. 4 : 12. . . .u Mark 1 
se41....x ch. 1 : 35; Ps. 16 : 10 ; Dan. 9 : 24; Acts 3 : 14.... y 1 Pet. 3 : 22. 



see Thomson's Land and the Book, Vol. L, 
234-236. 

28-30. The rage of the people was the result 
of their bigotry. To them it was intolerable that 
Israel should be rejected and the heathen ac- 




VICINITT OF NAZAKETH. 

cepted. Analogous was the Jews' treatment of 
Paul when he preached a similar doctrine (Acts 
22 : 22), and of Christ, when just previous to his 
death in Jerusalem, he declared that the stone 



which the builders refused would grind the na- 
tion to powder. It was this teaching (Matt. 21 : 28 
to ch. 22 : 13) which turned the enthusiasm into a 
feeling of passionate hate, and the cry of "Ho- 
sanna "into one of "crucify him." It illustrates 
the declaration of John 1 : 11. 
The accompanying illustration 
shows the general character of 
the environs of Nazareth, and 
sufficiently explains the possibil- 
ity of thrusting one off a preci- 
pice in its immediate vicinity. 
The traditional site is called the 
Mount of Precipitation, and is 
two miles away. That an in- 
furiated mob should have under- 
taken to conduct the victim two 
miles before putting him to 
death is so highly improbable 
that the tradition would be un- 
worthy of credence, even if it 
were better authenticated. It 
is, however, of no great antiqui- 
ty. I do not believe that the 
escape of Christ, here or in John 
8 : 59, can be regarded as proper- 
ly miraculous ; for there are no 
other instances in which Christ 
employed his divine power for 
his own preservation ; the sug- 
gestion to do this was one of the 
temptations which he met and 
overcame at the beginning of his 
career (Matt. 4 : 3, 4) ; to have yield- 
ed to it now, would have marred 
the perfection of his incarnation, 
by which he was made under the 
law (Gal. 4 : 4), and in the condi- 
tion of man (phii. 2 : 7, s). I believe 
with Godet, that "he passed 
through the group of these in- 
furiated people with a majesty 
which overawed them." 

31, 32. It is probable, though Alford thinks 
otherwise, that this mob was the occasion of 
Christ's change of residence from Nazareth to 






3 

■u 

o 

CO 
CD 

?! 



3 




Ch. V.] 



LUKE. 



35 



into Simon's house. And z Simon's wife's mother was 
taken with a great fever ; and they besought him for 
her. 

39 And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever ; 
and it left her : and immediately she arose, and minis- 
tered unto them. 

40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had 
any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him ; 
and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed 
them. 

41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, 
and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he, 
rebuking them, sufFered them not to speak : for they 
knew that he was Christ. 

42 And when it was day, he departed, and went into 
a desert place : and the people sought him, and came 



unto him, and stayed him, that he should not depart 
from them. 

43 And he said unto them, I must preach the king- 
dom of God to other cities also ; for therefore "ami 
sent. 

44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee. 



CHAPTER V. 

AND b it came to pass, that, as the people pressed 
upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by 
the lake of Gennesaret, 

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake : but the 
fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing 
their nets. 



z Matt. 8 : 14, etc. ; Mark 1 : 29, etc. ... a Mark 1 : 



Matt. 4 : 18, etc. ; Mark 1 : 16, etc. 



Capernaum, referred to in John 2 : 12. Doctrine 
is teaching ; not what he taught, but the manner 
and spirit of the teaching. The power is that re- 
ferred to in Matt. 7 : 29 (see note there), and illus- 
trated in the Sermon on the Mount ; the power 
of a direct appeal to the hearts and consciences 
of his hearers, of his own spiritual earnestness 
and consecration, and of the Spirit of God, speak- 
ing in and through him. 

33-37. Healing of the Demoniac. — Peculiar 
to Mark 1 : 21-27, and Luke. See notes on Mark. 
The phrase "hurt him not," is peculiar to Luke, 
whose description of diseases and their effects is 
characteristic of the "beloved physician" (col. 

4 : 14). 

38, 39. The Healing or Peter's Mother- 
in-law.— Matt. 8 : 14-17; Mark 1 : 29-34. See 
notes on Matthew. Luke gives the peculiar 
description of the fever as a "great fever." 
Fevers, in the medical language of that day, 
were simply divided into little and great fevers. 
This was one of a serious character ; probably 
malarious. Rebuked the fever is also peculiar to 
Luke — a poetical expression, signifying that he 
expelled it. 

40-44. First Circuit in Galilee. — Mark 
1 : 35-39 ; Matt. 4 : 23-25. See notes on both 
Gospels. From Mark, it appears that Christ 
arose before day, and that the people who fol- 
lowed were led by Simon Peter. Matt. 8 : 17, 
which belongs chronologically with this account, 
gives a hint of the cause of Christ's sleeplessness, 
viz., his intense sympathies. 



Ch. 5:1-11. THE CALL OF FOUR DISCIPLES. Christ 

A POPULAR PREACHER. — THE ATTRACTION AND POWER 
OP THE WORD OF GOD. — THE OBEDIENCE OP FAITH IL- 
LUSTRATED. — The prater of fear: Depart from 
he. — Christ's call a call to work. 

Alford regards this call of the four disciples as 
distinct from and later than the similar incident 
recorded in Matt. 4 : 18-22, and Mark 1 : 16-20. 
In this opinion he stands almost alone. They are 
generally regarded as different accounts of the 
eame event. There is small reason for regarding 



them as different. To suppose that Christ called 
these four disciples ; that they forsook their fish- 
ing to follow him ; left him and went back to 
their fishing, and were a second time called, 
now, with the added emphasis of a miracle, 
neither accords with Christ's character nor with 
that of the four apostles. There is no inconsist- 
ency in the three accounts. Matthew and Mark 
omit the preaching from the boat and the mira- 
cle, but narrate the call with greater detail than 
Luke. Compare with the notes here those on 
Matthew, and see below Alford's arguments in- 
cidentally answered. 

1,2. As the people pressed upon him to 
hear the word of God. Christ was a popular 
preacher. It was a local prejudice, stirred up by 
an inimical priesthood, which crucified him. 
The reason of his popularity is here indicated. 
The people heard from him the word of God. 
For the same reason he spake with authority 
(Matt 7 : 29). The word of God has always had 
power to attract as well as to convince and to 
convert. It was the word of God which men 
pressed to hear in the days of Savanarola, Huss, 
Luther, Wycliffe, Wesley, and which still, in our 
own time, they press to hear from Bible preach- 
ers, who always possess a power not their own. 
Contrast Christ's teaching in Nazareth (ch. 4 : 16-27) 
and in Capernaum. Observe his example to the 
unsuccessful preacher. Rejected by one city he 
carries his message to another. Seeming failure 
became to patient perseverance the precursor 
of abundant success.— Lake of Gennesaret. 
Otherwise called Sea of Galilee. For description 
see note on Matthew.— Two ships. Fisher- 
man's boats. They carried sail, but were not too 
large to be propelled by oars (Mark 4 : 36, note). — 
The fishermen. Washing their nets. To 
get the full significance of this incident the 
reader must have some familiarity with Oriental 
fishing. For detailed description see Thompson's 
Land and the Book, Vol. LI, p. 79. It is rarely done 
with the hook ; generally with nets. These are 
of various kinds. There is the hand-net, in shape 
like the top of a tent, with a long cord fastened 



36 



LUKE. 



[Oh. V. 



3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was 
Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a 
little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the 
people out of the ship. 

4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto 
Simon, Launch c out into the deep, and let down your 
nets for a draught. 

5 And Simon, answering, said unto him, Master, we 
have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing : d 
nevertheless, at thy word I will let down the net. 



6 And e when they had this done, they inclosed a 
great multitude of fishes : and their net brake. 

7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which 
were in the other ship, that they should come and help* 
them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so 
that they began to sink. 

8 When Simon Peter saw zV, he fell down s at Jesus' 
knees, saying, Depart from me ; for 1 am a sinful man 
O Lord. 

9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, 
at the draught of the fishes h which they had taken : 



c John 21 : 6. . . .d Ps. 127 : 1, 2 ; Ezek. 37 : 



11,12.. 
2 Sam. 



.eEcdes. 11 : 6; Gal. 6 : 9 f Exod. 23 : 5 ; 

: 9 ; 1 Kings 17 : 18 ; Isa. 6 : 5. . . .h Ps. 8 : 6 ; 



Prov. 18 : 24 ; Gal. 6:2 g Jndges 13 : 22 ; 




ORIENTAL FISHERS. 



to the apex ; this is tied to the fisherman's arm, 
and the net so folded that when it is thrown it 
expands to its utmost circumference ; around 
the bottom are beads of lead to make it sink sud- 
denly to the bottom. The fisherman watches, 
sees the fish in the surf, throws the net, which 
encircles the victim, who is then drawn leisurely 
to the shore. For illustration see Matt. 4 : 18, 19, 
Vol. I., p. 81. There is the drag-net, worked by 
several fishermen together ; some row the boat, 
some cast out the rope, some on shore draw it in, 
some at the ends beat the water to frighten the 
fish from escaping. See Matt. 13 : 47-50, notes. 
There are bag-nets and basket-nets of various 
kinds, so constructed and worked as to enclose 
the fish in deep water. It was such a net which 
Dr. Thompson supposes was used here. The dis- 
ciples were washing their nets to cleanse them 
from mud or stones, or matter accumulated 
from the bottom of the lake or along the shore. 

3-5. It is evident that there was some pre- 
vious acquaintance between Jesus and Simon, 
from which Alf ord draws the conclusion that the 
call of Simon, recorded in Matthew, had pre- 
viously taken place. This does not follow. Peter 
had met Jesus some time previous at the baptism 
of John in the Jordan (John i : 40-42), and the ac- 
quaintance then founded was sufficient to ac- 



count for Peter's loan of the boat and subse- 
quent obedience to the directions of Christ. Ob- 
serve that Christ preached everywhere ; that no 
ritualistic service, therefore, could have accom- 
panied his service. We have no account of even 
a prayer or a psalm. Certainly instruction was 
the main element in these out-of-door services. 
Observe, too, the childlike trustfulness of Si- 
mon's obedience. He might not unnaturally 
have refused, on the point that Christ, who was 
a carpenter, knew nothing about fishing ; and 
there was no promise and no apparent expecta- 
tion of a miracle. 

6, 7. That a miracle is intended is unques- 
tionable. How wrought, whether by a divine 
act drawing together at this time and place a 
shoal of fishes, or by a divine knowledge per- 
ceiving the shoal that was there, the narra- 
tor does not indicate. It is enough for us that 
Simon Peter, who was a fisherman, and was able 
to judge, accounted the event an evidence of su- 
pernatural power. It produced the desired ef- 
fect on him and his co-laborers. Tristram {Land 
of Israel) says, referring to the fish of the Sea of 
Galilee, "The shoals were marvelous; black 
masses, many hundred yards long, with their 
black fins projecting out of the water as thick as 
they could pack. No wonder any net should 



Ch. V.] 



LUKE. 



37 



10 And so was also James and John, the sons of Zeb- 
edee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus 
said unto Simon, Fear not ; from henceforth thou shalt 
catch men. 

ii And when they had brought their ships to land, 
they forsook' all, and followed him. 

12 AndJ it came to pass, when he was in a certain 
city, behold, a man full of leprosy ; who seeing Jesus, 
fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou 
wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

13 And he put forth his hand, and touched him, say- 
ing, I will ; be k thou clean. And immediately the lep- 
rosy departed from him. 

14 And he charged him to tell no man : but go and 
shew thyself to the priest, and ofier for thy cleansing, 



according as Moses commanded, 1 for a testimony unto 
them. 

15 But 90 much the more went there a fame abroad 
of him: and m great multitudes came together, to hear, 
and to be healed by him of their infirmities. 

16 And n he withdrew himself into the wilderness, 
and prayed. 

17 And it came to pass on a certain day, as he was 
teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the 
law sitting by, which were come out of every town of 
Galilee, and Judaea, and Jerusalem ; and the power 
of the Lord vizs present to heal them. 

18 And,p behold, men brought in a bed a man which 
was taken with a palsy : and they sought means to 
bring him in, and to lay him before him. 



19 : 27 ; Phil. 3 : 7, 8. . . .j Matt. 8 : 2, etc. ; Mark 1 : 40, etc. . . .k 2 Kings 5 : 10, 14. . . .1 Lev. 14 : 4, etc. . . .m Matt. 4 : 25 ; 
Mark 3:7; John 6:2 n Matt. 14 : 23 ; Mark 6 : 46 o John 3 : 21 p Matt. 9 : 2, etc. ; Mark -2 : 3, etc. 



break which should enclose such a shoal." 
Peter refers to fishing all night. Night fishing is 
common in the East, both with the spear and tbe 
net. 

8, 9. Compare Simon Peter's prayer with that 
of the Gadarenes in Matt. 8 : 34 ; the language is 
similar, the spirit is radically different. There 
they desired Christ's departure because of the 
injury to their property. Here, it is evident, 
from Simon Peter's subsequent course in leaving 
all to follow Christ, that he did not really desire 
his departure. The language was a strong ex- 
pression of his own unworthiness to be in the 
presence of one whose divinity was even then 
perceived by Peter's quick intuition. Compare 
for an interpretation of Peter's expression, Exod. 
20 : 18, 19 ; Judges 13 : 22 ; 1 Kings 17 : 18 ; Isa. 
6:5; Dan. 10 : 17, " The deepest thing in man's 
heart under the law is this sense of God's holi- 
ness as something bringing death and destruc- 
tion to the unholy creature. Below this is the 
utterly profane state in which there is no contra- 
diction felt between the holy and the unholy, be- 
tween God and the sinner. Above is the state of 
grace, in which all the contradiction is felt ; God 
is still a consuming fire ; yet not any more for 
the sinner, but only for the sin. It is still felt — 
felt far more strongly than ever, how profound 
a gulf separates between sinful man and a holy 
God ; but felt no less that this gulf has been 
bridged over, that the two can meet, that in One 
who shares with both they have already met." — 
(Trench, Notes on Miracles.) 

10, 11. Compare Matt. 4 : 19. Combining the 
two reports, it will appear that Christ said to 
Peter, "Fear not, for thou shalt catch men;" 
and afterward bid the four " follow me, and I 
will make you fishers of men." 

In studying this incident observe, (1) That 
Christ employs familiar figures to illustrate the 
truth, and draws each soul by that which is 
attractive to it : — the magicians by a star (Matt. 
3 •. i, 2) ; the hungry people by a promise of bread 
of life (John, ch. 6) ; the Samaritan woman who 
came to draw water, by a promise of the water 



of life (John 4 : 7-i4) ; the fishermen, by the prom- 
ise to make them fishers of men. (2.) His invi- 
tation. He calls us to the life of work, to follow 
him that so we may lead others to follow us in 
our following of him (1 Cor. 11 : 1). (3.) That the 
promised reward is success in that work. This 
was the hope of which the Psalmist spoke, 
"He shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, 
bringing his sheaves with him" (p s . 126 : 6); 
and this was the joy which Christ had set be- 
fore him, and which enabled him to endure the 
cross, despising the shame, since he propheti- 
cally saw of the harvest of his Iff e and was satis- 
fied (isa. 53 : 11,12; comp. Isa. 55 : ll). (4.) That the 

promise, as interpreted by this event, is a 
catching of many souls. It is not individual 
fishing, to be interpreted by the modern angling 
with hook or fly, but net-fishing, in which great 
numbers are brought into the net. It is a prom- 
ise of revival scenes. Its first fulfillment was the 
day of Pentecost, when Peter's net drew three 
thousand souls into the kingdom of Christ. (5.) 
Peter and his co-laborers are called from a pros- 
perous business ; from a business which Christ 
has just made, especially and miraculously, pros- 
perous ; and the prosperity is the reason why 
they leave it at his call. Compare their readi- 
ness with that hesitancy and declination of those 
to whom no harder test was proposed (ch. 9 : 57-62 ; 

18 : 18-23). 

12-16. The Heading of the Leper.— Comp. 
Mark 1 : 40-45 ; Matt. 8:2-4. I have treated it 
fully in Matthew ; see notes there. The phrase 
here, "Full of leprosy,''' is peculiar to Luke, and 
is an indication of the incurable character of the 
disease. It had already affected the whole body. 

17-26. The Healing of the Paraettic. — 
Matt. 9:2-8; Mark 2 : 1-12, notes. This miracle 
was wrought at Capernaum (Mark 2 : 1) at the time 
indicated here and in Mark. Ver. 17 here is pe- 
culiar to Luke. — From every town of Gali- 
lee, etc. Not to be taken literally. The people 
were simply from all quarters. The complaints 
against Christ probably came from the Judeans, 
who were jealous of the influence of one whom 



38 



LUKE. 



[Oh. VI. 



19 And when they could not find by what way they 
might bring him in because of the multitude, they went 
upon the housetop, and let him down through the 
tiling, with/its couch, into the midst before Jesus. 

20 And when he saw their faith, he said unto him, 
Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. 

21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to rea- 
son, saying, Who is this which speaketh blasphemies ? 
Who can forgive 1 sins, but God alone ? 

22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he, an- 
swering, said unto him, What reason ye in your hearts ? 

23 W hether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven 
thee ; or to say, Rise up and walk ? 

24 But that ye may know that the Son of man hath 
power upon earth to forgive sins, (he said unto the sick 
of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and r take up thy 
couch, and go into thine house. 

25 And immediately he rose up before them, and 
took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own 
house, glorifying God. 

26 And they were all amazed, and 3 they glorified 
God, and ' were filled with fear, sajing, We have seen 
strange things to-day. 

27 And u after these things he went forth, and saw a 
publican, named Levi, sitting at the receipt of custom : 
and he said unto him, Follow me. 

28 And he left all, rose up, and followed him. 

29 And Levi made him a great feast in his own 
house : and v there was a great company of publicans 
and of others that sat down with them. 

30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against 
his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with 
publicans and sinners ? 



31 And Jesus, answering, said unto them, They that 
are whole need not a physician ; w but they that are 
sick. 

32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners x to 
repentance. 

33 And they said unto him, Why do the disciples of 
John fast often, and make prayers, and likewise the 
disciples of the Pharisees ; but 5" thine eat and drink? 

34 And he said unto them, Can ye make the children 
of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with 
them ? 

35 But the days will come when the bridegroom 
shall be taken away from them, and then shall they 
fast z in those days. 

36 And a he spake also a parable unto them : No man 
putteth a piece of new garment upon an old : if other- 
wise, then both the new maketh a rent, and the piece 
that was taken out of the new agreeth not 11 with the 
old. 

37 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles ; 
else the new wine will burst the bottles and be spilled, 
and the bottles shall perish. 

38 But new wine must be put into new bottles ; and 
both are preserved. 

39 No man also having drunk old wine straightway 
desireth new : for he saith, The old c is better. 

CHAPTER VI. 

AND d it came to pass on the second sabbath after 
the first, that he went through the corn fields; 
and his disciples plucked the ears of corn, and did eat, 
rubbing them in their hands. 



q 13. 32 : 5 ; 103 : 3 ; 130 : 4 ; Isa. 1 : 18 ; 43 : 25. . 

v ch. 15 : 1, etc w Jer. 8 : 22 x eh. 15 : 7 

9 : 16, 17 ; Mark 2 : 21, 22. 



r John 5 : 8, 12. . . .s Acts 4 : 21; Gal. 1 : 24. . . .t verse 8. . . .n Matt. 9 : 9, etc. ; Mark 2:13.... 

10 ; 1 Cor. 6 : 9-11 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 15 ; 2 Pet. 3:9 y ch. 7 : 34, 35. . . z Isa. 22 : 12 a Matt. 

b Lev. 19 : 19 ; Deut. 22 : 11 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 16. . . .c Jer. 6 : 16. . . .d Matt. 12 : 1, etc. ; Mark 2 : 23, etc. 



they regarded as a Galilean rabbi (John i : 52). — 
The power of the Lord was present to 
heal them* Not specifically the Pharisees 
and doctors, but whoever sought healing. The 
meaning is that at this time the power of God was 
manifest in and exercised by Jesus Christ in acts 
of healing. That his teaching was not always ac- 
companied by acts of healing is certain (Matt. 13 : 58 ; 
Mark 6 : 5). Except for Luke we should not know 
that any other cures than that of the paralytic 
were wrought at this time. Ver. 19 also gives 
some particulars not given in Mark. For notes 
on the narrative, see Mark 2 : 1-12. 

27-39. The Call, of Levi (Matthew) 
and Christ's Consequent Teaching. — Matt. 
9 : 9-17 ; Mark 2 : 14-22. This call occurred prior 
to the Sermon on the Mount ; and I think the 
better opinion regards the call and supper as con- 
temporaneous events, though there is some 
doubt on that point. See notes on Matthew. 
Luke alone directly declares that the feast was 
given by Levi (Matthew), but this is fairly im- 
plied by Matthew and Mark. The expression in 
ver. 36 is slightly different from the analogous 
expression in Matthew and Mark. It should be 
rendered thus : " If otherwise, then both the new he 
rends," i. e., by taking out the patch for the old, 
" and the patch from the new agrees not with the 
old,''' 1 and so rends that also. Comp. note on 
Matt. 9 : 16. The general lesson of the parable is 
against all attempt to patch old and effete sys- 
tems with partial reformations ; here, because 



the attempt spoils them both. " The new loses 
its completeness ; the old its consistency." — (Al- 
ford.) The better reading of ver. 39 is, No man 
also having drunk old wine desireth new; for he 
saith the old is good, omitting straightway and 
substituting good for better. This verse is pe- 
culiar to Luke. Its significance appears to be, 
The Jews, who have been accustomed to the old 
order of things, will not readily accept the new 
wine of the Gospel ; its lesson is one of patience 
to all Christian teachers, and to all reformers, 
who must expect that men habituated to one 
form of life, will not readily abandon it for a new 
and better way. " The old is good enough, ' ' is the 
common language of opposition to all reformers. 



Ch. 6 : 1-11. THE LAW 0E THE CHE1STAIN SABBATH 
ILLUSTRATED. 

Matt. 12 : 1-14 ; Mark 2 : 23-28 ; 3 : 1-5. See 
notes on Matthew. For illustration, see frontis- 
piece. I here note only some matters peculiar 
to Luke. 

1-5. The second Sabbath after the first. 
(dsvTeQonoojTw). There is great doubt and differ- 
ence of opinion as to the meaning of the Greek 
word so rendered. It occurs nowhere else, and 
is thought by some critical scholars not to belong 
here, but to be a gloss which has crept into the 
account by a combination of two words added by 
different scribes in the margin. Tischendorf, 
after once rejecting, finally retains it ; Meyer re- 



Ch. VI] 



LUKE. 



2 And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, Why- 
do ye that which e is not lawful to do on the sabbath 
days? 

3 And Jesus answering them said, Have ye not read 
so much as this, what f David did, when himself was 
an hungered, and they which were with him ; 

4 How he went into the house of God, and did take 
and eat the showbread, and gave also to them that 
were with him ; which it is not lawful s to eat, but for 
the priests alone ? 

5 And he said unto them, That the Son of man is 
Lord also of the sabbath. 

6 And h it came to pass also on another sabbath, that 
he entered into the synagogue, and taught ; and there 
was a man whose right hand was withered. 



7 And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, 
whether he would heal on the sabbath day,' that they 
might find an accusation against him. 

8 But he knew their thoughts^ and said to the man 
which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth 
in the midst. And he arose, and stood forth. 

9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one 
thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days k to do good, 
or to do evil ? to save life, or to destroy it ? 

io And looking 1 round about upon them all, he said 
unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so : 
and his hand was restored whole as the other. 

ii And they were filled with madness ; and com- 
muned™ one with another what they might do to 
Jesus. 



eExod. 20: 10; Isa. 58 : 13.. 



.f ISam. 21 : 6.. 
j Job 42 : 2. 



.g Lev. 24 
..k ch. 14 



• Lev. 24 : 9. . . .h chaps. 13 : 14 ; 14:3; Matt. 12:10, etc. ; Mark 3 : 1, etc. . . .i John 9 : 16. . 
3 ; Exod. 20 : 10. . . .1 Mark 3 : 5. . . .m Ps. 2 : 1. 2. 



jects it ; Alf ord doubts and brackets it. It seems 
to me more probable that it has been rejected 
because of the difficulty it presented, than that 
it has been invented and inserted. Among the 
various explanations, which the curious student 
will find at some length in Alford but still more 
clearly expressed in Godet, two are suggested, 
either of which is reasonable, but neither of 
which is certain. The second day of the Pass- 
over week was a Sabbath day (Lev. 23 : 6, 7), and 
from that day seven Sabbaths were reckoned to 
the Pentecost, which was the next feast, seven 
weeks later. It is supposed by Lightfoot, Scali- 
ger, De Wette, Brown, and others, that here is 
meant the first of these seven Sabbaths, i. e., the 
first Sabbath after the second day of the Pass- 
over. This rendering places the incident imme- 
diately after the incident and address recorded 
in John, ch. 5 ; and the feast referred to there 
(ver. 1) is assumed to be the Passover. The other 
explanation, approved by Godet and adopted by 
Oosterzee, is this : The Israelites recognized two 
years ; a civil year commencing in autumn, the 
month of Tisru (sept.), and the church year com- 
mencing in the spring, the month of Nisan (March). 
Thus there were two first Sabbaths, a first first, 
and a second first. The reference will then be to 
the second first Sabbath, i. e. , to the first Sabbath 
in the ecclesiastical year. And this explanation, 
like the other, brings the incident in the first 
Passover week. The barley harvest was in April, 
the wheat harvest in May. Thus the incident un- 
doubtedly occurred about the time indicated by 
these two interpretations. The question is of im- 
portance only as it serves to fix a date in Christ's 
life, and the meaning is so doubtful that it can- 
not be relied upon for that purpose. — Ears of 
corn. Of grain ; probably wheat or barley. — 
Why do ye ? According to Matthew and to 
Mark they address the question to the Lord, 
Why do thy disciples do that which is not lawful? 
It may have been addressed first to the disciples, 
and subsequently to the Lord. 

6-11. The statement that this was on another 
Sabbath, is peculiar to Luke. It was probably on 



the Sabbath immediately succeeding. Matthew's 
report is fuller than Luke's. The question of our 
Lord, as there reported, if it be not lawful to save 
a sheep from a pit, is repeated in Luke's account 
r. 




BED WHEAT OF PALESTINE. 

of a similar Sabbath day healing in ch. 14 : 1-5. 
Hence, Alford concludes that Matthew has con- 
founded and intermixed the two incidents. But 
what reason is there for believing that Christ did 



40 



LUKE. 



[Oh. VI. 



not use the same illustration on a second occa- 
sion ? That he did sometimes repeat, not only 
the same substantial truths, but the same illus- 
trations, and even the same forms of expression, 
is very certain. The synagogue where this oc- 
curred is described in Matthew as " their syna- 
gogue," i. e., one in which the more rigorous of 
the Pharisees predominated. 

12-49, Christ's Sermon on the Mount. — 
Of this sermon we have two reports : one in Mat- 
thew, chaps. 5, 6, 7, and one here in Luke. Sev- 
eral circumstances have led some critics to sup- 
pose that they are two sermons, either delivered 
at different periods in Christ's ministry or deliv- 
ered twice on the same day ; the first sermon, as 



reported in Matthew, being preached to the 
disciples ; the second, as reported in Luke, being 
delivered immediately after, on Christ's descent 
from the mountain, to the multitude. The 
reasons for this opinion are as follows : (1.) The 
sermon in Matthew is expressly stated to have 
been delivered in the mountain (Matt. 5 : 1), in Luke 
in the plain (ver. 17). (2.) The sermon in Luke is 
immediately connected with the call and conse- 
cration of the twelve to an apostolic ministry. 
This is not the case in Matthew. (3.) The report 
in Matthew is much longer, yet that in Luke is 
not an abbreviation, for it contains some passages 
(vers. 24-26) not elsewhere reported in the N. T., 
and some others (vers. 39, 40), reported elsewhere, 




MOUNT OF BEATITUDES. 



but not in Matthew's account of the Sermon on 
the Mount, For reasons stated more fully in the 
notes on Matthew, I regard the two as reports of 
the same discourse. The only serious ground for 
a different opinion is the conflict in statement as 
to the place of delivery. And this is sufficiently 
explained by the topography of the Mount of 
Beatitudes, or Horns of Hattin. This mount or 
hill, for it is only sixty feet above the plain, is 
generally believed, partly from tradition but 
more from the peculiar location and character of 
the hill itself, to have been the place where this 
sermon was delivered. On the summit of this 
hill is a spot exactly answering to Luke's descrip- 
tion here, which should be rendered, not plain, 



but level place {tonov 7is§ivov) ; it is capable of 
seating upwards of two thousand persons, and is 
easily accessible from the plain below. On either 
side of it rise the two horns, which give the hill 
its present name. The accompanying illustration 
will make this clear to the reader. Christ went 
up from the shore of the Sea of Galilee to spend 
the night in prayer with his disciples. The peo^ 
pie, as on so many occasions, followed him up in 
the early morning. Descending to them from one 
of the horns, where he had retired for prayer, he 
chose from his avowed disciples the twelve to be 
his constant companions, and then preached to 
them and to all the people this memorable ser- 
mon, as an explanation of the principles of the 



Oh. VI.] 



LUKE. 



41 



12 And n it came to pass in those days, that he went 
out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night 
in prayer to God. 

13 And when it was day, he called unto him his dis- 
ciples : and of them he chose twelve,? whom also he 
named apostles ; 

14 Simon (whom 1 he also named Peter) and Andrew 
his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 

15 Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, 
and Simon called Zelotes, 

16 And Judas r the brother of James, and Judas Is- 
cariot, which also was the traitor. 

17 And he came down with them, and stood in the 
plain, and the company of his disciples, and 8 a great 
multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, 
and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came 
to hear him, and to be healed l of their diseases ; 

18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits : 
and they were healed. 

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch u him : 
for v there went virtue out of him, and healed them all. 



20 And w he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and 
said, Blessed be ye* poor: for yours is the kingdom of 
God. 

21 Blessed are ye that hunger y now : for ye shall be 
filled. 2 Blessed are ye that weep a now : for ye shall 
laugh. 

22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and 
when they shall separate you from their company, 
and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, 
for the Son of man's sake. 

23 Rejoice d ye in that day, and leap for joy : for, be- 
hold, your reward is great in heaven : for in the like 
manner e did their fathers unto the prophets. 

24 But woe unto you that are f rich ! for ye have re- 
ceived e your consolation. 

25 Woe unto you that are full ! h for ye shall hunger. 
Woe unto you that laugh 1 now! for ye shall mourn 
and weep. 

26 Woe unto you when all men shall speak wellJ of 
you ! for so did their fathers to the false prophets. 



n Matt. 14: 23.... o Matt. 6: 6....p Matt. 10 : l,e(c. ; Mark 3 : 13; 6 : 7....q Johnl :42....r Jude 1....8 Matt. 4 : 25. etc.; Mark 3 : 7, etc.... 
t Ps. 103 : 3 ; '107 : 17-20. . . .u Numb. 21 : 8, 9 ; Matt. 14 : 36 ; John 3 : 14, 15. . . .v ch. 8 : 46 ; Mark 5 : 30. . . .w Matt. 5 : 2, etc. . . .x James 
2 : 5. . . .v Isa. 55 : 1. . . .z Ps. 107 : 9. . . .a Isa. 61 : 3 ; Rev. 21 : 4. . . .b John 17 : 14. . . .c 1 Pet. 2 : 19, 20 ; 3 : 14 ; 4 : 14. . . .d Acts 5 : 41 ; Col. 

1 : 24 ; James 1 : 2. . . .e Acts 7 : 52 : Heb. 11 : 32-39. . . .f Hab. 2:9; James 5 : 1. . . .g ch. 16 : 25. . . .h Isa. 28 : 7 ; 65 : 13 i Prov. 14 : 13 : 

Ephes. 5:4 j John 15 : 19 ; 1 John 4 : 5. 



kingdom which he had come to establish. On the 
sermon and on all that is common to both re- 
ports, see notes on Matthew. 

12-16. Of the twelve apostles there are four 
lists, viz., Matt. 10 : 2-4 ; Mark 3 : 16-19 : Acts 
1 : 13 ; and Luke 6 : 13-16. On their differences 
and their reconciliation, see Matt. 10 : 2, note ; 
on the apostles themselves and their characters 
see Vol. I, p. 147. Matthew gives the list, not in 
connection with their call and consecration, but 
with their subsequent commission to go out two 
by two to preach the Gospel. He does not indi- 
cate, however, that they were then first chosen. 
Nor is it necessary to suppose that Christ first 
exercised the choice at the time of the preaching 
of this sermon. We know that several of them 
had been heretofore called, and had attached 
themselves to his service. Perhaps this was true 
of all; but now, for the first time, they were 
publicly designated and set apart to their work. 
Christ's example gives sanction to the custom of 
public ordination and to the appointment of men 
especially consecrated to the work of the minis- 
try, abandoning all secular work for that purpose. 

17-19. Stood in the plain. Rather, A 
level place. See above. — They were healed. 
We are not to understand that at the time of the 
delivery of the sermon Christ performed the 
miracles of healing [here referred to. None are 
mentioned in Matthew as being performed at 
this time. The account here is parallel to the ac- 
count of Christ's work in Matt. 4 : 23-25, and 
describes the general features of his ministry at 
this time. This idea is conveyed in the original 
by the peculiar form of the expression — the im- 
perfect tense — which is not adequately expressed 
in the English. It might be rendered thus : 
They also that were vexed with unclean spirits were 
coming; they also were being healed; and the whole 



multitude were seeking to touch him, for power was 
going out of him and he teas healing all, i. e., all 
who came to him. That any were healed by 
touching Jesus without the deliberate and con- 
scious forth-putting of power there is no evi- 
dence. In the only case narrated of such heal- 
ing, it is evident, on a careful study of the narra- 
tive, that Christ deliberately healed ; the woman 
was not cured by the garment, but by the will of 
the Lord. See Mark 5 : 30-34, notes. 

20-23. These beatitudes are interpreted by a 
fuller account of them given in Matt. 5 : 3-12. 
The poor are poor in spirit, i. e., the humble and 
contrite ; the hungry, those that hunger and thirst 
after righteousness. If verses 20 and 21 stood 
alone, one might perhaps regard them as refer- 
ring only to earthly poverty and hunger (as De 
Wette does), and Christ, as indicating that his 
disciples should be poor and hungry in this life, 
but should receive a compensation in wealth and 
abundance in the life to come ; but (1) this does 
not accord with Matthew's fuller report ; (2) nor 
with the general course of Christ's instruction ; 

(3) nor with the language of Luke in reporting 
Christ's instructions elsewhere (see ch. 12 : 21 ; 16 : 11), 

(4) nor with the context here (ver. 22), which speaks 
of suffering for the Son of man's sake ; (5) nor 
with the woes which follow, on which see notes. 
We must not however forget that the majority 
of Christ's hearers were poor, hungry, oppressed ; 
and that poverty, hunger, and suffering are 
blessings if we receive them aright and learn the 
lessons which they are meant to teach. The 
poor are blessed if they learn humility ; the 
hungry, if the^ obtain a higher aspiration after 
spiritual life ; the suffering, if they are drawn to 
seek refuge in God. The kingdom of God here is 
the same here as the kingdom of Heaven in Mat- 
thew. One Evangelist describes it by its king ; 



42 



27 But I say unto you which hear, Love k your ene- 
mies, do good to them which hate you, 

28 Bless them that curse you, and 1 pray for them 
which despitefully use you. 

29 And m unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek 
offer also the other ; and him n that taketh away thy 
cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. 

30 Give ° to every man that asketh of thee ; and of 
him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. 

31 AndP as ye would that men should do to you, do 
ye also to them likewise. 

32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank 
have ye ? for sinners also love those that love them. 

33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, 
what thank have ye ? for sinners also do even the 
same. 

34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to re- 



LUKE. [Oh. VI. 

ceive, what thank have ye ? for sinners also lend to 
sinners, to receive as much again. 

35 But love ye your enemies,i and do good, and 
lend, r hoping for nothing again ; and your reward shall 
be great, and 8 ye shall be the children of the Highest : 
for he is kind unto the unthankful, and to the evil. 

36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is 
merciful. 

37 Judge l not, and ye shall not be judged : condemn 
not, and ye shall not be condemned : forgive, and ye 
shall be forgiven. 

38 Give, and it shall be given" unto you; good 
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and run- 
ning over, shall men give into your bosom. v For w 
with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be 
measured to you again. 

39 And he spake a parable unto them: Can x the 



k verse 35 ; Exod. 23 : 4, 5 ; Prov. 25 : 21 ; Matt. 5 : 44 ; Rom. 12 : 20. . . .1 ch. 23 : 34 ; Acts 7 : 60. . . .m Matt. 5 : 39. . . .n 1 Cor. 6:7.. 

o Deut. 15 : 7, 8, 10 ; Prov. 19:17; 21 : 26 ; Matt. 5 : 42, etc p Matt. 7:12 q verse 27 r Ps. 31 : 26 ; 112 : 5 ... .s Matt. 5 : 45. . 

t Matt. 7:1 u Prov. 19 : 17 ; Matt. 10 : 42 v Ps. 79 : 12 w Matt. 7:2; Mark 4 : 24 ; James 2 : 13 x Matt. 15 : 14. 



the other by its capital. On the spiritual mean- 
ing and application of these beatitudes, see notes 
on Matthew. 

24-26. These woes have their place in the 
complete sermon in Matthew, in ch. 5, between 
verses 12 and 13. Why they were omitted there, 
it is useless to conjecture. It is far more prob- 
able that a later tradition dropped them, because 
they were thought to be incongruous with the 
prevailing spirit of that discourse, than that it 
added them here, as Meyer has supposed. Tra- 
dition seeks to increase the blessings but to di- 
minish the warnings of Scripture. Nor are these 
woes denounced against the rich and prosperous, 
as if the prosperity were itself a crime. The 
spirit is not that of the modern commune. Christ 
is not an agrarian. Joseph of Arimathea and 
Nicodemus are among his disciples. As in many 
other passages, if we would correctly under- 
stand the real meaning of Christ, we must give 
a careful study to the words themselves. The 
word consolation in ver. 24 {7ta^dy.Xr\OLg) is de- 
rived from a Greek verb, meaning, To call to 
one's aid ; it is used in Luke 2 : 25 of the Mes- 
siah. A different form of the same word is used 
in John 14 : 16, 26 ; 15 : 26, etc., of the Holy 
Spirit ; and throughout the N. T., of that spirit- 
ual life, which comes from calling to one's aid 

the Spirit Of God (Acts 9 : 31 ; Rom. 15 : 4 ; 2 Cor. 1 : 3-5 ; 

Phil. 2 : i). The woe here, too, is denounced, not 
merely against the rich, but against those who 
have made riches their consolation, i. e., who 
have chosen it as their chief good, as their Mes- 
siah, Deliverer, Comforter, as the one thing need- 
ful. It is interpreted by Mark 10 : 24, and Luke 
12 : 19, 20. Comp. 1 Tim. 6 : 9, 10, 17, where the 
warning is not against riches, but against the de- 
termination to be rich, which may be as injurious 
to him who fails as to him who succeeds. In ver. 
25 the word full {lixTtinlri^i) signifies a state of 
satiety, complete and entire satisfaction, want- 
ing nothing more. To those who are filled to the 
full with the things of this present world, there 



will come a time of emptying ; death will come 
to them as a thief (Matt. 24 : 43 ; Rev. 3 : 3), and then 
they will hunger; while those who have never 
been satisfied, ever hungry and thirsty after 
righteousness, as Paul (phii. 3 : 12-14), will be filled. 
They that laugh, in verse 25, is literally, The 
laughing ones (01 ysltivtBg), i. e., those who give 
themselves up to a life of merriment and super- 
ficial pleasure ; who will not perceive that life is 
serious ; who are without the earnestness of pur- 
pose that makes merriment an occasional relief, 
not a constant aim. Parallel with this warning is 
that of Prov. 14 : 13, and Eecles. 7:6; and in no 
way inconsistent with it is the commendation of 
the merry heart, that doeth good like a medicine 
(Prov. 17 : 22 ; is : 13, 15). The fourth woe needs no 
interpretation. All men cannot and will not 
speak well of one who is faithful in following his 
own convictions of duty, and whose life is thus a 
rebuke to the recreant. Thus these four woes 
are four warnings to four different classes — 
those who make wealth their God; those who 
are satisfied with this present life, having no 
hungering for inward peace or future glory ; 
those who live for present enjoyment, devoid of 
earnest purpose and serious thoughts ; and those 
who sacrifice conscience to a popular adulation. 

27-36. Nearly all these precepts have their 
parallels in Matthew's report of this sermon. 
The connection presented there is missed here, 
where the verses stand rather as separated 
aphorisms than as parts of one connected dis- 
course. The variations are otherwise chiefly ver- 
bal, and not important. See notes on Matthew. 

37, 38. Parallel to these verses is Matt. 
7 : 1, 2 ; but the difference is such as to give 
color to Alford's hypothesis, that the saying as 
reported here, was perhaps uttered by our Lord 
on some other occasion ; " for the connection is 
very strict in Matthew, and would hardly bear 
this expansion of what is not in that place the 
leading idea." Or, may it not be that Luke has 
amplified the idea, explaining the command, 



Ch. VI.] 



LUKE. 



43 



blind lead the blind ? shall they not both fall into the 
ditch ? 

40 The y disciple is not above his master : but every- 
one that is perfect shall be as his master. 

41 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy 
brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in 
thiue own eye ? 

42 Either how canst thou say to thy brother, Bro- 
ther, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye, 
when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in 



thine own eye ? Thou hypocrite ! cast z out first the 
beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see 
clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye. 

43 For a a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit ; 
neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 

44. For b every tree is known by his own fruit : for 
of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush 
gather they grapes. 

45 A c good man out of the good treasure of his heart 
bringeth forth that which is good ; and an evil man 



y Matt. 10 : 24 ; John 13 ; 16 ; 15 ; 



, . z Prov. IS : 17 ; Rom. 2 : 1, 21, etc. ... a Matt. 7 : 16, 17 b Matt. 12 : 1 



, c Matt. 12 : 35. 



judge not, by the added one, condemn not. For 
(see Matt. 7 : 1, notes) the command, judge not, does 
not prohibit the formation of judgments respect- 
ing our fellow-men, but the exercise of the judi- 
cial function, in a quasi trial, convicting and con- 
demning them as though we were their judges. 
The metaphorical language of ver. 38 is derived 
from the usages of the Jewish grain market of 
the East, as they may be seen at the present day 
in Jerusalem. An official, appointed by the gov- 
ernment, measures all the grain that is bought or 




MEASURING GRAIN. 

sold ; after he has filled the measure full to the 
edge, he pours on more, presses it down, shakes 
the measure, pours on again till no more can be 
heaped up, and then, by a sudden movement, 
with a dexterity which only long experience 
could give, he empties the contents of the meas- 
ure into the receptacle of the waiting customer, 
and begins again. This receptacle is often the 
"bosom" of the purchaser. The long robe, 
skillfully gathered about the wearer, affords by 
its ample folds a capacious pocket, easily ad- 



justed to the carriage of a considerable burden. 
A pocketfull of grain carried in this way in the 
bosom is not an inconsiderable quantity. The ac- 
companying cut, from an original drawing by 
Mr. Rawson, sketched in Jerusalem in 1874, 
serves to illustrate both phrases in the text. 
The word men is added by the translators ; the 
original is shall they give into your bosom. Al- 
ford, following Meyer, supposes that angels are 
meant rather than men ; angels being the minis- 
ters of the divine purpose. But a comparison of 
the language here with that of Matt. 7 : 2, and 
Mark 4 : 24, in both of which cases the same 
principle is enunciated, though with a different 
application, indicates that it is primarily of men 
that Christ is here speaking. As we treat them 
we must expect to be treated by them. See 
further, notes on Matt. 7 : 2. 

39. On the meaning of this verse see Matt. 
15 : 14, note, where the same saying is reported 
in a different connection. The censorious spirit 
of the Pharisees, begotten by their pride, makes 
them blind. See also John 9 : 40, 41. The con- 
nection forbids the supposition that the rest of 
this chapter is simply a casual collection of say- 
ings of our Lord, thrown together by Luke ; 
though several of them (see below) are found re- 
peated at different times during his ministry. 
It is much more reasonable to suppose that Luke 
has given a different report of the same dis- 
course, as that more fully, and I believe more ac- 
curately reported by Matthew, possibly inter- 
weaving some cognate sayings not uttered at 
this time. Alford gives the connection of the 
following verses well. "The parabolic saying, 
implying the unfitness of an uncharitable and un- 
justly condemning leader (the Lord was speak- 
ing primarily to Sis Apostles) to perform his 
office, leads to the assertion (ver. 40) that no 
Christian ought to assume in this respect an of- 
fice of judging, which his Master never assumed ; 
but rather will every well-instructed Christian 
strive to be humble, as his Master was. Then 
follows the reproof of vers. 41-43 ; and vers. 44, 
45, and 46-49, show us, expanded in different 
images, what the beam in the eye is, to which our 
first efforts must be directed."— (Alford.) 

40. Compare Matt. 10 : 24 ; John 13 : 16. The 
language here, Every one that is perfect shall be as 
his Master, is peculiar to Luke. The word ren- 



44 



LUKE. 



[Ch. YII. 



out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that 
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his 
mouth speaketh. 

46 And why call ye me, d Lord, Lord, and do not the 
things which I say ? 

47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my say- 
ings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is 
like: 

48 He e is like a man which built an house, and 
digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock ; and 
when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon 
that house, and f could not shake it ; for it was founded 
upon a rock.e 

49 But he h that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man 
that without a foundation built an house upon the 
earth : against which the stream did beat vehemently, 
and immediately it fell; 1 and the ruin of that house 
was great. 

CHAPTER VII. 

NOW J when he had ended all his sayings in the au- 
dience of the people, he entered into Capernaum. 

2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear k 
unto him, was sick, and ready to die. 

3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the 



elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come 
and heal his servant. 

4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him 
instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he 
should do this : 

5 For he loveth l our nation, and he hath built us a 
synagogue. 

6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was 
now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends 
to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble 111 not thyself; 
for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under 
my roof: 

7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to 
come unto thee : but say 11 in a word, and my servant 
shall be healed. 

8 For I also am a man set under authority, having 
under me soldiers: and I say unto one. Go, and he 
goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to 
my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 

9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at 
him, and turned him about, and said unto the people 
that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so 
great faith, no, not in Israel. 

10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, 
found the servant whole that had been sick. 

11 And it came to pass the day after, that he went 



d ch. 13 : 25 ; Mai. 1:6; Matt. 7 : 21 ; 25 : 11 ; Gal. 6 : 7. . . .e Matt. 7 : 25, 26. 

1 : 24-26 i Prov. 28 : 18 ; Hosea 4 : 14 j Matt. 8 : 5, etc k Job 31 : : 

6 : 1, 2 m ch. 8 : 49 n Ps. 107 : 20. 



.f 2 Pet. 
; Prov. i 



10 ; Jude 24. . . .g Ps. 46 : 1-3 ; 62 : 2. . . .h James 
21. . . .1 1 Kings 5:1; Gal. 5 : 6 ; 1 John 3 : 14 ; 



dered perfect {y.axr\otia\ikvoq) means primarily 
mended (see Matt. 4 : 21) ; i. e., it is commonly used 
of that which has been injured and is repaired. 
This I believe to be the meaning here. The 
man that is restored by the divine grace to his 
true condition, shall become as the Master. 
Parallel to this declaration are 1 Cor. 15 : 49, 
and 1 John 3:2. It affords at once an ideal, to- 
ward which we are to strive, and a promise, by 
which we may be inspired. 

41-45. See Matt. 7 : 3-5, 15-20 ; 12 : 33, 35, 
and notes there. 

46-49. See Matt. 7 : 21, 24-27. The parable 
is carried out with greater dramatic fullness by 
Matthew's than by Luke's report; digged deep, 
literally, dug and deepened, is peculiar to Luke, a 
significant addition. We come to the Rock, 
Christ Jesus, as a life-foundation, not easily but 
by deep-digging, in study of the truth and in 
personal heart-searchings. See Prov. 2 : 4. 



Ch. 7 : 1-10. HEALING OF THE CENTURION'S SER- 
VANT. 

Reported also by Matthew, ch. 8 : 5-13. The 
account of the miracle itself is somewhat fuller 
in Luke ; the account of Christ's instruction to 
the people thereon is fuller in Matthew. See on 
the whole account, notes on Matthew. There is 
no just ground for believing that they are differ- 
ent events. The probable time of occurrence is 
that indicated here, viz., on Christ's descent 
from the mount, after the ordination of the 
twelve and the sermon thereon. 

1, 2. When he had ended all his sayings 
in the hearing of the people. The very 
form of this expression indicates that Luke's re- 



port of those sayings was not a complete one. 
It thus confirms the opinion that Luke's and 
Matthew's accounts are simply different reports 
of the same sermon. — Ready to die. A more 
definite statement of the immediate danger than 
is given by Matthew. The disease was palsy, 
and the sufferer was "grievously tormented." 

3-5. Matthew says the centurion "came be- 
seeching him ; " he says nothing of any delega- 
tion. There is no real inconsistency ; what is 
done by another is often said to be done by the 
person who directs it. The elders are not the elders 
of the synagogue (ch. 13 : 14 ; Acts 13 : 15, etc.), f or which 
a different Greek word is used (uq'/Lov\ay<ayoi\ 
but the elders of the people (jtQsnfivTkQoC). The 
intervention of these elders indicates that the 
centurion was a proselyte ; and this is confirmed 
by his second message to Jesus. No heathen 
would have regarded himself unworthy to re- 
ceive a Jewish prophet. Observe that the elders 
put their request on the ground that the centu- 
rion is worthy because of his attachment to the 
Jewish nation, while Jesus esteems him above 
Israel because of his faith. 

6-8. In Matthew this message is reported as 
the centurion's reply to Christ's promise, "1 
will come and heal him." The promise was 
probably one of action, not of words. As Christ 
went toward the house some ran before to tell 
the centurion, and he sent forth this second 
message. To enter the Gentile house would 
have made Jesus ceremonially unclean. Possi- 
bly the centurion refers to this ; rather, I think, 
to the fact which this was intended to symbol- 
ize, viz., that they who live out of covenant 
relations with God are not suitable or worthy 
companions for the children of God. 



Ch. VII] 



LUKE. 



45 



into a city called Nain ; and many of his disciples went 
with him, and much people. 
12 Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, 



behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son 
of his mother, and she was a widow : and much people 
of the city was with her. 



9, 10. The additions in Matthew are impor- 
tant. See Matt. 8 : 11, 12. 

Ch. 7 : 11-16. RAISING OP THE WIDOW'S SON AT 
NAIN. The compassion of Christ. — Mercy is more 

THAN RITUAL.— THE POWER OF THE LlFE-GTVER IL- 
LUSTRATED. — The least faith suffices to justify 

THE GREATEST MIRACLE. 

This incident is recorded alone by Luke. This 
casts no necessary discredit on it, since there is 
abundant evidence in the Gospels of numerous 
miracles performed by Christ of which no de- 
tailed aCCOUnt is given (chaps. 4 : 40, 41; 6 : 18, 19; 

7 : 2i ; John 2 : 23, etc.). Three times Christ raised the 
dead : Jarius's daughter, who was just dead ; 
this young man, who was at the time borne 
toward the burial ; Lazarus, who had been 
buried four days. For a comparison of the 
three, see Vol. L, p. 360. 

11. He went into a city called Nain. 
Not the place of the same name referred to by 
Josephus ( Wars of the Jews, 4 : 9 ; 4). That was 
on the borders of Idumea ; this was in Galilee. 
The only remains are a squalid and miserable 
village, containing nothing to justify its name, 
which means "fair;" they occupy what was 
once a beautiful location, on the north-west slope 
of the Little Hermon, about twenty-five miles 



from Capernaum. Almost the exact site of this 
miracle is determined by the locality. "No con- 
vent, no tradition marks the spot. But, under 
the circumstances, the name is sufficient to guar- 
antee its authenticity. One entrance alone it 
could have had — that which opens on the rough 
hill-side in its downward slope to the plain. It 
must have been in this steep descent, as, accord- 
ing to Eastern custom, they ' carried out the 
dead man, ' that, ' nigh to the gate ' of the vil- 
lage, the bier was stopped, and the long proces- 
sion of mourners stayed, and ' the young man 
delivered back to his mother.' " — {Stanley 's Sinai 
and Palestine.) The time, too, may be fixed with 
reasonable certainty. If Christ started, as Ori- 
entals ordinarily do, in the early morning, and 
sailed down the Sea of Galilee to the southern 
end, and thence walked, he would have arrived 
at the city of Nain in the early afternoon. — And 
many of his disciples * * * and much 
people. It was the era of Christ's popularity ; 
not yet had he made that discourse of the nature 
of his kingdom and its demands on his disciples, 
which subsequently estranged so many who were 
now following him, in expectation of a temporal 
and political redemption. 

12. Nigh to the gate* The brief and sim- 
ple picture of this funeral procession is illus- 




FUNERAL PROCESSION. 



trated by Oriental burial customs, and tallies 
with them in the most minute particulars. Buri- 
als were almost invariably without the city walls. 
Immediately upon death the friends joined in 
noisy, though not always sincere, demonstrations 



of grief. In these they were often aided by pro- 
fessional mourners (Mart 5 : 38, note). The body 
was dressed in the ordinary garments, or was 
wrapped in a long piece of cloth, answering to 

the modern ShrOUd (Acts 5 : 5, 6, note and illustration). 



46 



LUKE. 



13 And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion 
on her, and said unto her, Weep not. 

14 And he came and touched the bier : and they that 



[Oh. VII. 

And he said, Young man, I say- 



bare him stood still, 
unto thee, Arise. 

15 And he that was deadP sat up, and began to 
speak. And he delivered him to his mother. 



o ch. 8 : 54 ; Acts 9 : 40; Rom. 4:17 p 2 Kings 4 : 32-37 ; 13 : 21 ; John 11 : 44. 



The bier on which it was borne was, in the case 
of the poorer classes, a simple board supported 
on two poles. There was no coffin ; the corpse 
was simply covered with a large cloth. Mourn- 
ers accompanied the body to the grave, chanting 
a sorrowful refrain, broken in upon by the genu- 
ine lamentation of friends, the sympathetic ex- 
pressions of bystanders and acquaintances, and 
the professional outcries of hired mourners. 
Greater respect is paid to the funeral proces- 
sions in the East than with us ; bystanders wait 
reverentially as it passes, and often swell the lit- 
tle cortege, following in the train as a mark of 
sympathy. These features are illustrated in the 
accompanying cut, from an original drawing by 
Mr. A. L. Rawson. In accordance with these 
usages is this narrative : The bier is met outside 
the city walls ; it is accompanied by much peo- 
ple ; and when Christ interferes there is no 
coffin to be opened, no obstacle to prevent the 
dead from rising up into a sitting posture at 
once. — The only son of his mother, and 
she was a widow. The peculiar grief of this 
mother has made this story sacred to many a 
heart. The bitterness of mourning for an only 
son is illustrated by several passages in the Bible 

(jer. 6 : 26; Amos 8 : 10; Zech. 12 : 10). But chiefest of 

these is the fact that it is taken to symbolize and 
interpret to us the Father's love for us, in that 
he spared not his only begotten Son for our re- 
demption (John 3 : 16). — Much people. Observe 
that the miracle is performed in open day, with- 
out secrecy, and before many witnesses. There 
is no room for deception or mistake. As in the 
case of Lazarus, we must believe either that the 
incident never occurred, i. e., that it is a ficti- 
tious narrative ; or that it was a deliberate fraud, 
in which Christ and the widow conspired to de- 
ceive the people ; or that it was a divine inter- 
position, attesting in Christ that power over 
death which is the peculiar prerogative of divin- 
ity (2 Kings 5 : 7). To suppose that the cases of 
resurrection recorded in the N. T. were simply 
restorations of suspended animation, as some 
rationalistic critics have suggested, involves insu- 
perable difficulties. We must then believe that, in 
less than three years, three cases of suspended 
animation occurred within the circle of Christ's 
ministry, that in each criticism now discovers 
what was hidden from the immediate friends, 
and that Christ made the discovery in each case 
without any examination of the supposed corpse, 
and just at the fortunate moment when the re- 
turning life was ready to respond to his voice. 



This involves a perfectly incredible doctrine of 
chances. 
13-15. He had compassion on her. The 

sacred narrative assigns no other reason for this 
miracle than compassion for the weeping mother. 
It is not for us to add other reasons, e. g. , faith 
in the young man about to be raised, or a con- 
cealed purpose to restore him spiritually by 
raising him from the dead. To see an indication 
of such a purpose in the declaration of ver. 15, 
He delivered him to his mother, is to add to the 
Scriptural narrative, without improving upon its 
simplicity. We neither know that he was not 
before a child of God, nor that he became so 
afterward. — Weep not. This is the message of 
redeeming love. The end of redemption is even 
in this life, glorying in tribulation (Rom. 5:3); 
though our sorrow remains, it is not a hopeless 
sorrow (1 Thess. 4 : 13) ; and it is in the life to come 
an experience of divine comfort, in which God 
will wipe away all tears from our eyes (Rev. 21 : 4). 
There is thus a deep spiritual meaning in this 
incident, in which two processions meet — the one 
led by death, the other by the Prince of life ; the 
one a procession of mourners, the other one of 
rejoicers ; the one a result of the fall, the other 
a symbol of redemption — and in which life con- 
quers death, joy sorrow, redemption the bitter 
fruit of sin. — Touched the bier. This was 
not necessary ; a word would have sufficed ; and 
the ceremonial law rendered any one unclean 
who touched the dead, for death was a symbol 
and a result of sin. But to Christ the law was 
made for man, not man for the law, and he never 
hesitated to break over the letter of the ritual in 
redeeming from the curse which made ceremo- 
nial law needful (Matt. 8 : 5, note). — They that bore 
him stood still. Without any other command 
than that of his presence or his gesture ; with- 
out any other expectation than that vague hope 
which his benignant divinity so often inspired in 
men. There is scarcely conceivable a smaller 
token of faith than this mere standing still to let 
Christ do what he would; but it was faith 
enough. When we can do nothing for those 
dear to us, we can at least stand, expectant and 
submissive, for Christ to do his will.— I say 
unto thee, Arise. Contrast the prayers and 
efforts of Elijah and Elisha (1 Kings 17 : 20-22; 2 Kings 
4:33-35). "Elijah, it is true, raises up the dead. 
But he is obliged to stretch himself out upon the 
body of the child whom he recalls to life ; and it 
is easily seen that he invokes a foreign power, 
that he withdraws from the empire of death a 



Oh. VIL] 



LUKE. 



47 



16 And there came a fear on all : and they glorified 
God, saying, That a great prophet^ is risen up among 
us : and, That r God hath visited his people. ^ 

17 And this rumour of him went forth throughout all 
Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. 

18 And the disciples of John shewed him of all these 
things. 

19 And 8 John calling unto him two of his disciples, 
sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should 
come ? ' or look we for another ? 

20 When the men were come unto him, they said, 
John Baptist sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he 
that should come ? or look we for another ? 

21 And in that same hour he cured many of their 
infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits ; and unto 
many that were blind he gave sight. 

22 Then Jesus answering, said unto them, Go your 
way, and tell u John what things ye have seen and 
heard ; how v that the blind see, the lame walk, the 
lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, 
to the poor w the gospel is preached. 

23 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offend- 
ed x in me. 

24 And when the messengers of John were departed, 
he began to speak unto the people concerning John, 
What went ye out into the wilderness for to see ? A 
reed shaken with the wind ? 

25 But what went ye out for to see ? A man clothed 



in soft raiment? Behold, they which are gorgeously 
apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings courts. * 

26 But what went ye out for to see ? A prophet ? z 
Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. 

27 This is he, of whom it is written, 3 Behold, I send 
my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy 
way before thee. 

28 For I say unto you, Among those that are born 
of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the 
Baptist : but he that is least in the kingdom of God is 
greater than he. 

29 And all the people that heard him, and the publi- 
cans, justified b God, being baptized c with the baptism 
of John. 

30 But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the coun- 
sel" 1 of God against themselves, being not baptized 
of him. 

31 And the Lord said, Whereunto e then shall I liken 
the men of this generation ? and to what are they like ? 

32 They are like unto children sitting in the market- 

Elace, and calling one to another, and saying, We 
ave piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we 
have mourned to you, and ye have not wept. 

33 For John the Baptist came f neither eating bread 
nor drinking wine ; and ye say, He hath a devil. 

34 The s Son of man is come eating and drinking ; 
and ye say, Behold, a gluttonous man, and a wine- 
bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners ! 

35 But h Wisdom is justified of all her children. 



q ch. 24 : 19 r ch. 1 : 68 s Matt. 11:2 t Zech. 9:9 u John 1 : 46 v Isa. 35 : 5, 6 w ch. 4 : 18 ; James 2:5 x ch. 2 : 34 ; 

Isa. 8 : 14, 15 ; Matt. 11:6; 13 : 57 ; John 6 : 66 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 21-28. . . .y 2 Sam. 19 : 35 ; Esther 1:3, 11. . . .z ch. 1 : 76. . . .a ch. 1 : 15-17 ; 
Mai. 3 : I... b Ps. 51 :4; Rom. 3 : 4....ech. 3 : 12 ; Matt. 3: 5, 6.... d Acts 20: 27.... e Matt. 11 : 16, etc. . . .f ch. 1 : 15 ; Matt. 3:4; Mark 
1 : 6. . . .g verse 36 ; John 2:2; 12 : 2. . . .h Prov. 8 : 32-36 ; 17 : 16. 



soul which is not subjugated to him, and that he 
is not himself the master of life and death. 
Jesus Christ raised up the dead as easily as he 
performs the most common actions ; he speaks 
as master of those who repose in an eternal 
sleep; and it is thoroughly felt that he is the 
God of the dead as of the living, never more 
tranquil and calm than when he is operating the 
grandest things." — (Massillon's Sermons, p. 448.) 
Godet draws beautifully another and a sugges- 
tive contrast, which hints not only, indeed, at 
the manner in which the divine voice recalls the 
dead from the long sleep, but at an analogy 
which helps our faith to accept the sublime fact. 
"The interruption of the connection between 
the soul and the body in death, as in sleep, is 
only relative ; and as man's voice suffices to re- 
establish this connection between the soul and 
the body in any one who is wrapt in slumber, so 
the word of the Lord has the power to restore 
this interrupted connection even in the dead." — 
Sat up and began to speak. An evidence of 
the completeness of his restoration. — Delivered 
him to his mother. A finishing act of grace. 
The on-lookers were too awe-struck to act ; the 
mother was overwhelmed by the sudden revul- 
sion of feeling ; personally helping the son from 
his bier, and conducting him to his mother, 
Christ completed his merciful interposition, and 
gave to the mother's feeling that opportunity 
for action which was necessary for her own re- 
lief. Comp. John 11 : 44, note. 

16, 17. There came a fear on all. Not 
that fear which is akin to terror, but that which 



is akin to awe.— A great prophet. Only the 

greatest prophets had raised the dead. As yet 
there was no general belief, even among his own 
disciples, that Christ was the promised Messiah. 
— And this rumor of him went forth 
throughout all Judea. That is, the glory of 
this miracle and the consequent fame of him as 
a great prophet. This, extending in widening 
circles, was carried from Galilee even to and 
throughout Judea, and so came to John the Bap- 
tist, who was confined in the prison of Machae- 
rus, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and led 
to the inquiries reported in the following verses. 
18-35. Message of John the Baptist, and 
Christ's Discourse thereon. — Keported also 
in Matt. 11 : 2-19. See notes there, where I 
have treated it at length. The variations in the 
accounts are mostly immaterial. The only ones 
of consequence are the following. Matthew 
places the incident after the commission of the 
twelve, Luke shortly after the Sermon on the 
Mount ; neither definitely indicates the time. 
Luke's order is generally believed to be the cor- 
rect one, for Herod beheaded John the Baptist 
while the twelve were absent fulfilling their com- 
mission (Mark 6 : 30 ? Matt. 14 : 13). Luke reports 2k 

little more fully John's message. Comp. vers. 
19, 20, with Matt. 11 : 2. He alone reports the 
important fact in ver. 21. The language in Mat- 
thew, " Go show John again these things which 
ye do hear and see," implies, however, that 
John's messengers had personally witnessed the 
miracles which they were to report ; but the lan- 
guage here indicates that these miracles were 



48 



LUKE. 



[Oh. VIL 



36 And 1 one of the Pharisees desired him that he 
would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's 
house, and sat down to meat 

37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a 



sinner^ when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the 
Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of oint- 
ment, 
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and 



i Matt. 26 : 6, etc. ; Mark 14 : 3, etc. 5 John 11 : 2, etc. . . . j Terse 34 ; ch. 5 : 32 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 15. 



wrought at the time and for the purpose of giv- 
ing a message to carry back to their Master. If 
so, it is, I think, the only case reported where 
Christ performed a miracle for the avowed pur- 
pose of demonstrating his claims. Matthew, in 
vers. 12-15, contains an important declaration 
not reported by Luke ; on the other hand, vers. 
29, 30, here are peculiar to Luke. Comp. with 
them Matt. 21 : 25, 26. They are regarded by 
Alf ord as an addition by Luke, giving the effect 
of Christ's discourse on the multitude ; by De 
Wette, Meyer, etc., as a part of Christ's dis- 
course, in which he describes the effect of John 
the Baptist's preaching prior to his imprison- 
ment. The former interpretation appears to me 
unquestionably the correct one. Observe the 
comprehensive character of Luke's classification 
of cures, in ver. 21, indicating, perhaps, the pro- 
fessional accuracy of a physician. Infirmities 
are those disorders which disable, as deafness, 
dumbness, paralysis, the withered hand, etc. ; 
plagues, lit., scourges, are the more painful forms 
of sickness ; the possessed of evil spirits are dis- 
criminated from the merely diseased. 

Ch. 7 : 36—50. ANOINTING OF JESUS BY A PENI- 
TENT WOMAN. The attractive power of Christ. — 
The friend of publicans and sinners. — The 
Christian treatment of the abandoned. — A lov- 
ing SINNER BETTER THAN A PROUD SAINT.— We HAVE 

nothing to pat. — the sense of sin forgtven is the 
inspiration of true love for christ. — love to 
Christ in the life an evidence that Christ's for- 
gtveness is received tn the heart. 

There has been much discussion whether this 
anointing is not merely a different account of 
the same act reported by the other Evangelists 

(Matt. 26 : 7 ; Mark 14 : 3 ; John 12 : 3). The identity is 

maintained by the Latin fathers, by the later 
Roman Catholic expositors, and by the modern 
rationalistic interpreters. That they are different 
events is the opinion of nearly all modern evan- 
gelical scholars. The reasons for regarding them 
as different accounts of the same event are as fol- 
lows : (1) No Evangelist mentions two anointings ; 
the one here described is the only one mentioned 
by Luke ; the one described as occurring in the 
Passion week is the only one mentioned by Mat- 
thew, Mark, and John. (2.) The master of the 
house in both cases is Simon (ver. 40 ; Matt. 26 : 6). 
(3.) The homage paid by the woman in the two 
cases is analogous. (4.) In both it is the subject 
of misinterpretation and conflict. Against re- 
garding them as different accounts of the same 
events are the following considerations : (1) The 



name Simon is a common one ; nine persons of 
that name are mentioned in the N. T. (2.) The 
time, place, and circumstances are widely differ- 
ent ; that anointing was in Judea, just before 
Christ's passion, by a disciple of Christ, whom 
he especially loved, whose brother he had raised 
from the dead. The Simon there mentioned was 
a leper, and therefore could not well have been 
present. The complaint came from a disciple ; 
and was a complaint of extravagance. This 
anointing was in Galilee, in the era of Christ's 
great popularity, before the final conflict with 
the Pharisees, by a recognized harlot, whose 
name is unknown. It took place at the house 
of a well-known Pharisee, who interposed the 
complaint on the ground, not of extravagance, 
but of the woman's sinful character. (3.) The 
lessons are different ; that teaches that the offer- 
ings of love to Christ are never wasted ; this that 
penitence draws near to Christ, while pride re- 
mains afar off. I have no doubt that there 
were two anointings. There is no reason what- 
ever for identifying this woman with Mary 
Magdalene. The exact time and place of the in- 
cident are unknown ; Meyer supposes Caper- 
naum ; Wieseler, Nain. 

36-38. And one of the Pharisees de- 
sired him that he would eat with him. 
As yet then the breach between Jesus and the 
Pharisees had not become irreparable. This 
single fact is sufficient evidence that the incident 
could not have occurred in Judea, and immedi- 
ately previous to Christ's crucifixion. There is 
no reason to doubt that this Pharisee had heard 
of the fame of Jesus Christ as a prophet, and 
knowing little of his character, really desired to 
do him an honor by his invitation. The Pharisee 
invites Christ to come to him ; the woman seeks 
permission to come to Christ ; the Pharisee 
thinks to confer honor ; the woman seeks salva- 
tion.— Sat down to meat. Reclined in Ori- 
ental fashion, with the feet extended behind. 
See Vol. I., p. 282, for illustration Thus the 
woman, coming behind, easily and without ob- 
servation, approached his feet. — Behold a 
woman in a city which was a sinner. 
Or, possibly, so some read the passage, who was a 
sinner in that city, i. e., who had practiced her 
unholy calling there. She was, not merely had 
been, a sinner. Up to that time she had lived a 
life of sin. The substitution of the pluperfect 
for the imperfect tense by some expositors, 
grows out of a desire, either to explain Christ's 
treatment of the woman, whom they wish to 



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Oh. VIL] 



LUKE. 



49 



began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them 
with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and an- 
ointed them with the ointment. 

39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him 
saw it. he spake within himself, saying, This man, if* 
he were a prophet, would have known who and what 



manner of woman this is that toucheth him ; for she is 
a sinner. 1 

40 And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Simon, I 
have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Mas- 



ter, say on 
4 l Tl 



here was a certain creditor which had two debt- 



represent as already reformed, or to reconcile 
the account here with that anointing at Beth- 
any, reported in the other Gospels, with which 
they confound it. For the same reason, some 
have regarded the term sinner as a mere general 
one, indicating not an unchaste life, but one of 
vanity and worldliness. All such attempts to 
conform Scripture to our prepossessions are ir- 
reverent and misleading. The plain meaning of 
the narrative is, that this woman had been lead- 
ing the life of a prostitute up to this time, and 
was recognized by Simon as such, either by some 
characteristic feature in her dress or because her 
character was well known. Her reform dates 
from this hour. That she entered the house un- 
invited is not strange. In the free life of the 
East the presence of uninvited guests, not at the 
table but in the room, is not uncommon. "At 
dinner at the consul's house at Damietta we were 
much interested in observing a custom of the 
country. In the room where we were received, 
besides the divan on which we sat, there were 
seats all round the walls. Many came in and 
took their places on those side seats, uninvited 
and yet unchallenged." — {Narrative of a Mission 
to the Jews, quoted in Trench's Notes on the Parables.) 
If, in this case, the meal was given in the guest- 
room, which generally lies open to the court- 
yard, the public would naturally have followed 
Christ into the court-yard. This woman followed 
in with them, drawn by his words of tenderness, 
perhaps by the invitation of Matt. 11 : 28-30, 
which was given at about this time in Christ's 
life ; her heart was drawn toward him ; the tears 
of an awakened sorrow, welling to her eyes, 
dropped upon the feet of Christ ; she saw it, 
knelt, and, obeying the impulse of the moment, 
wiped them with her long hair ; unrepelled, she 
softly kissed them ; and still unrepelled, took 
the box of ointment which had ministered to her 
in her unholy calling, used in adding to her se- 
ductive charms, and with it anointed his feet. 
The first act of reverence was an unconscious 
one ; each new act, in expressing her hunger, in- 
tensified her feeling.— An alabaster box of 
ointment. * * * Anointed them with 
the ointment. The original is simply an ala- 
baster. It was probably a vase rather than a box. 
The accompanying illustration represents a col- 
lection of alabasters from the British Museum. 
Ointment was used in the East, and still is, not 
only in religious consecration, but also in the 




ALABASTERS. 

toilet. The hair and face were both anointed ; 
a shining skin being accounted an element of 

beauty (Ruth 3:3; Eccles. 9:8; Amos 6 : 6). To be with- 

out anointing was a sign of mourning (2 Sam. 
14 : 2). Trench notes the fact that she wiped the 
Lord's feet with that which is the especial crown 
and glory of woman, the hair of her head ; kissed 
him with the lips that had beguiled the simple 
(Prov. 5:3; 7 : 13) ; and used, in holy expression of 
reverence toward him, the unguent once used to 
aid her own sinful life and gratify her vanity, 
thus illustrating the principle enunciated by Paul 
in Romans 6 : 19. 

39. Spake within himself. Courtesy, or 
perhaps a vague feeling of awe, kept him 
from expressing his opinion. His conduct con- 
trasts favorably with that of the inimical Phari- 
see, whom we meet elsewhere in the Gospel nar- 
ratives. See, for example, Matt. 12 : 2 ; Luke 
11 : 53, 54 ; 16 : 14. Nor does Christ call Simon a 
hypocrite ; the rebuke which he administers is 
one of the severity of love, not of judgment. — 
This man, if he were a prophet, would 
have known. The dilemma in the Pharisee's 
mind was this ; if Christ were an inspired man 
he would have read the character of this woman ; 
if he were a holy man he would not have suffered 
her homage. Of the inspiration that reads pen- 
itence in the heart, of the holiness that accepts 
sorrow for sin and a promise of repentance, he 
had no conception. 

40, 41. Jesus answered. Not to aDy ex- 



50 



LUKE. 



[Oh. VII. 



ors : the one owed five hundred pence, and the other 
fifty: 

42 And when they had nothing m to pay, he frankly 
forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them 
will love him most ? 

43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to 
whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou 
hast rightly" judged. 

44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Si- 
mon, Seest thou this woman ? I entered into thine 
house, thou gavest me no water for my feet : but she 
hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with 
the hairs of her head. 



45 Thou gavest me no kiss : but this woman, since 
the time that I came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 

46 My head with oil thou didst no L anoint : but this 
woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 

47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are 
many, are forgiven ; for she loved much : but to whom 
little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 

48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say 
within themselves, WhoP is this that forgiveth sins 
also ? 

50 And he said to the woman,i Thy faith hath saved 
thee : go in peace. 



. . .n Ps. 116 : 16-18 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 9 ; 2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Tim. 1 : 13-16. . . .0 Ps. 23 : 5. . . .p Matt. 9 : 2, 3 ; Mark 2 : ' 
q chaps. 8 : 48 ; 18 : 42 ; Hab. 2:4: Matt. 9 : 22 ; Mark 5 : 34 ; 10 : 52 ; Ephes. 2 . 8. 



pression by the Pharisee, though his counte- 
nance may have indicated his thoughts, but to 
what he had said within himself. The case is 
one in which Christ read the secrets of the heart. 
Compare Matt. 9:4; John 2 : 25.— Master, say 
on. His language is that of respect. Evidently 
this Pharisee is not to be confounded with those 
that denied and persecuted the Lord. His per- 
plexity was an honest one ; Christ treats it with 
tenderness. — Two debtors. Compare the para- 
ble in Matt. 18 : 23-35. There, also, are two 
debtors ; but there, the difference between the 
two debts is enormous ; one owes eighteen dol- 
lars, the other a sum equivalent, at the lowest 
estimate, to fifteen millions. The contrast there 
represents the difference between our debt to 
God and our neighbor's debt to us. Here the 
difference is relatively small ; one owes fifty de- 
narii, the other five hundred. The denarius was 
about equivalent to eighteen cents of our money ; 
the relative debts therefore were nine dollars and 
ninety dollars. The contrast represents simply 
the difference among men in their debts, i. e., 
their unfulfilled obligations, toward God. Pre- 
sumptively, this Pharisee was represented by the 
smaller debtor, i. e., not only in his own estima- 
tion but also in reality he was a man of compara- 
tively pure life. 

42, 43. When they had nothing to pay 
he frankly forgave them both. They had 
nothing to pay, so that both were equally insol- 
vent ; moreover, they were both conscious of this 
fact, so that they both accepted from the credi- 
tor a full and free remission of the debt. The 
contrast is not between two men, one of whom 
claims divine consideration because he owes but 
little, and the other accepts it without preferring 
any claim ; but between two sinners, both of 
whom are conscious of their utter inability to 
meet the requirements of the divine law, but the 
one of whom feels that inability more keenly 
than the other. — I suppose that he to whom 
he forgave most. The expression, / suppose, 
does not imply doubt or hesitation. It is rather, 
As I understand the matter. Did Simon perceive 
the drift of our Lord's question ? Probably not 
fully ; and yet, it appears to me, that he could 



not have been wholly oblivious of the result to 
which the parable tended. 

44-46. It can hardly be doubted that Simon 
had been deficient, if not in the courtesies ordi- 
narily paid to a guest, at least in those due to a 
distinguished prophet. Water for the feet (Gen. 

18:4; Judges 19 : 2l), the kiss of peace (Gen. 45 : 15 ; 

Exod. is : 7), and anointing the head with oil (ps. 
23 : 5), were marks of attention ordinarily paid 
in the East. The contrasts are very noticeable 
between the neglect of Simon and the homage 
of the woman. No water — tears, the most pre- 
cious of all water ; no kiss of greeting — kisses 
for the feet ; no oil for the head — precious 
ointment for the feet. The Pharisee was decor- 
ous but cold ; the woman, under the inspiration 
of an ardent love, broke over the ordinary social 
restraints. The one omitted even the customary 
expressions of reverence ; the other, by her pe- 
culiar use of them, emphasized the reverence 
and love of her heart. 

47. The difficulties which this verse has occa- 
sioned, and the discussions to which it has given 
rise, I have considered below. Here it must 
suffice to say, that Christ does not say, "Where- 
fore her sins, which are many, are forgiven ; " 
but " Wherefore I say unto thee, her sins are for- 
given." The manifestations of the woman's love 
are not alleged by Christ to be the cause of the 
forgiveness, but the occasion of his teaching. Nor 
does the second clause of the sentence u for she 
loved much," imply that her love elicited the 
forgiveness. For indicates not the cause but the 
evidence of her pardon. "We may say, It is light, 
for the sun is risen ; but we may also say, The 
sun is risen, for it is light. So in this passage, 
for may, and according to what precedes, must 
mean : ' I say unto thee that her many sins are 
forgiven, as thou must infer from this, that she 
loved much.' " — (Godet.) 

48-50. Thy sins are forgiven. The tense 
is the perfect, not the present, and indicates not 
a forgiveness, then first proffered, but already in 
past time perfected. His language is, Thy sins 
have been forgiven. Christ did not then forgive ; 
he declared a forgiveness, before extended to 
her. The spirit of forgiveness in Christ, which 



Oh. VII.] 



LUKE. 



51 



drew the publican and sinner to him, and made 
him their friend, attracted this woman, and 
elicited her penitence, purpose of reformation, 
and love. The consciousness that he had for- 
giveness for her and compassion on her, pre- 
ceded and evoked her penitence. To suppose 
that he forgave because she previously loved, 
violates grammar here as well as the plain teach- 
ing of Scripture elsewhere. See below. — Who 
is this that forgiveth sins also ? Comp. 
Mark 2:7; but there the language is that of open 
opposition ; here, rather that of perplexity, not 
unmingled with awe. — Thy faith hath saved 
thee. As the instrument, not the cause of sal- 
vation ; it had saved her, because it had led her 
to accept in simplicity the saving grace proffered 
to her by the Lord. Observe, too, the illustra- 
tion of faith which this incident affords ; it is not 
an intellectual opinion, for there is no reason to 
suppose that the woman regarded Christ then as 
more than a prophet ; nor an act of obedience, 
nor always even illustrated by one, though al- 
ways involving an obedient spirit ; but a trust 
that accepts Christ, and believes in his grace, be- 
cause he proffers it. — Go in peace. This was 
the perfecting of her pardon ; it is always the 
perfecting of Christian pardon ; peace from fear, 
both of the past and the future (Rom. 8:1,38,39). 
She had felt the forgiving love of Christ before ; 
now, first she had an assurance in his own words, 
that put to flight all doubts, and dried all tears 
but those of gratitude and love. 

Two difficulties are presented by this parable, 
which have given rise to a voluminous discussion. 
I. Does it represent that our love for God is the 
cause of his forgiveness of our sins. That this is 
the teaching is maintained by many Roman Cath- 
olics, and some rationalistic divines, and by some 
who confound love and faith. But (1) this view 
is not required nor even justified by the gram- 
matical construction of ver. 47. See note there. 
(2.) It does not accord with the groundwork of 
the parable, since the forgiveness precedes and 
produces the love in the story (vers. «, 42), and nei- 
ther debtor has anything to pay, whereas love is 
the pay that is pre-eminently due to God ; (3) nor 
with Christ's language in the last clause of ver. 
47. If our love causes God's forgiveness, Christ 
would have said, not, To whom little is forgiven, 
the same loveth little ; but, Who loveth little, 
to the same little is forgiven. (4. ) Nor with ver. 
50, Thy faith (not thy love) hath saved thee. (5.) 
Nor with other teachings of Scripture, which 
uniformly represent the divine love as the cause, 
not the effect, of human love (John 3 : 16 ; Ephes. 
2:4,2; Uohn 4 : 10, 19). (6.) Nor with psychology, 
for love is itself salvation ; it is that not by which 
but unto which we are saved. " Sin is the dis- 
ease. What is the remedy ? Charity ? Pshaw ! 
Charity in the large, apostolic sense of the term 



is the health, the state to be obtained by use of 
the remedy, not the sovereign balm itself — faith 
of grace — faith in the God-manhood, the cross, 
the mediation, the perfected righteousness of 
Jesus, to the utter rejection and abnegation of 
all righteousness of our own." — (Coleridge.) 
II. If he whose sins are many and to whom 
much is forgiven, loves much, is sin a means of 
grace ? Is the greatest sinner prepared to be the 
greatest saint ? If love is the chief grace (1 cor. 
ch. 13), and sin forgiven awakens it, shall we not 
go on to sin that grace may abound ? No ! for, 
(1.) The love is not as the sin, but as the sense of 
forgiveness. It depends not upon the actual 
guilt, but upon our consciousness of it. One of 
the evil effects of sin is that it dulls the moral 
sense, and prevents that consciousness of guilt 
and that appreciation of divine forgiveness which 
is the inspiration of love. (2.) The love of a fla- 
grant transgressor, pardoned, may be more ar- 
dent, but not more deep ; more impetuous, but 
not more strong ; more demonstrative, but not 
more healthy than that of the soul which has 
grown up unto Christ without ever consciously 
wandering away from him. " It is an unques- 
tionable fact that the deepest penitents are, in one 
kind of love for him who has forgiven them the 
most devoted ; in that, namely, which consists in 
personal sacrifice, and proofs of earnest attach- 
ment to the blessed Saviour and his cause on 
earth. But it is no less an unquestionable fact, 
that this love is not the highest form of spiritual 
life ; that such persons are, by their very course 
of sin, incapacitated from entering into the 
length, and breadth, and height, and being filled 
with all the fullness of Christ ; that their views 
are generally narrow, their aims one-sided ; that 
though love be the greatest of the Christian 
graces, there are various kinds of it ; and though 
the love of the reclaimed profligate may be, and 
is, intense of its kind (and how touching and 
beautiful its manifestations are, as here !) yet 
that kind is not so high nor complete as the sac- 
rifice of the whole life— the bud, blossom, and 
fruit— to his service, to whom in baptism we 
were dedicated. ' '— ( Alford. ) (3. ) But we are not 
to forget the deep truth of this parable, which 
is forgotten, I fear, in much of the ministry of 
the modern church, with the result of a shallow 
love and an imperfect consecration. Christ's 
love is always proportioned to the soul's sense 
of its own unworthiness and its consequent 
necessity of its divine love in redemption. 
Hence, to deepen Christian love and strengthen 
Christian consecration, it is always necessary to 
deepen the conviction of sin. And I believe it is 
true, as matter of history, that those forms of 
theology which have treated sin lightly, have al- 
ways issued in belittling Christ's divine nature 
and work; and that those experiencec which 



52 



A 



LUKE. 



[Ch. VIII. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



ND it came to pass afterward, that he went 
throughout every city and village, preaching and 



shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God : and 
the twelve were with him ; 

2 And r certain women, which had been healed of 
evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out 8 
of whom went seven devils, 

3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, 
and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto 
him ' of their substance. 

4 And when much people were gathered together, 
and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a 
parable : 

5 A u sower went out to sow his seed : and as he 
sowed, some fell by the way side ; and it was trodden v 
down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 

6 And some fell upon a rock ; w and as soon as it was 
sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moist- 
ure. 

7 And some fell among thorns ; x and the thorns 
sprang up with it, and choked it. 

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, 
and bare fruit an hundredfold.y And when he had 



said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear 
let him hear. 2 

9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might 
this parable be ? 

io And he said, Unto you it is given to know the 
mysteries of the kingdom of God : but to others in 
parables : that seeing a they might not see, and hearing 
they might not understand. 

ii Now" the parable is this: The c seed is the word 
of God. 

12 Those by the way side are they that hear ; then 
cometh the devil, and taketh away d the word out of 
their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. 

13 They on the rock are they, which, when they 
hear, receive e the word with joy ; and these have no 
root/ which for a while believe, and in time of tempta- 
tion fall away. 

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, 
when they have heard, go forth, and are choked withe 
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring 
no fruit h to perfection. 

15 But that on the good ground are they, which, in 
an honest and good heart, 1 having heard the word, 
keep zV, and bring forth fruit with i patience. 

16 No k man, when he hath lighted a candle, cover- 



r Matt. 27 : 55.... s verse 30 ; Mark 16 : 9 t 2 Cor. 8:9... n Matt. 13 : 3, etc.; Mark 4 : 3, etc....v Ps. 119 : 118; Matt. 5: 13.... w Jer. 


5:3 x Jer. 4:3 y Gen. 26 : 12 z Prov. 20 : 12 ; Jer. 13 : 15 ; 25 : 4 a Isa. 6:9 b Matt. 13 : 18 ; Mark 4 : 14, etc c 1 Pet. 


1 :23....d Pr..v. 4: 5; Isa. 65 : 11; James 1 : 23, 24. . . .e Ps. 106 : 12, 13; Isa. 58 : 2; Gal. 3: 1,4; 4: 15.... t Prov. 12: 3: Hosea 6:4.... 


g 1 Tim. 6:9, 10; 2 Tim. 4: 10; 1 John 2 : 15-17.... h John 15: 6.... i Jer. 32 : 39 j Heb. 10 : 36 ; James 1 :4....k ch. 11 : 33; Matt. 


5 : 15 ; Mark 4 : 21. 



have not led to thorough heart-searchings and 
penitence before God, have not led to a deep love 
W Christ nor a thorough consecration to his 
service. (4.) Nor are we to overlook another 
lesson, which is frequently forgotten because it 
lies upon the surface. This woman had as yet 
been subjected to none of those tests by which 
we are accustomed to measure the genuineness 
of repentance. She had not yet reformed her 
life, nor borne the taunts of her companions, nor 
the scorn of the virtuous. But Christ declared 
that the manifestation of her personal love for 
him was an adequate evidence of her forgiveness 
by him and its acceptance by her. A genuine, 
simple, outspoken love for Christ is not the cause 
of forgiveness, but it is always an evidence if not 
always a demonstration that Christ's forgiving 
love has been received and accepted, and always 
justifies us in receiving the penitent to our own 
hearts. 



Ch. 8 : 1-3. CHRIST'S CIRCUIT OF GALILEE. The 

MINISTKY OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH. 

This summary of Christ's tour of Galilee is pe- 
culiar to Luke. It embraces, in a graphic out- 
line, the period, of which some details are given 
in the preceding chapters and some in the other 
Gospels. 

1. Throughout every city and village. 
A very thorough missionary tour. Christ neither 
dreaded the large places nor despised the small 
ones.— Heralding and showing the glad 
tidings of the kingdom of God. As a herald, 
proclaiming the kingdom of God at hand ; as 
an interpreter, explaining it as a kingdom of joy 
and gladness to man because of grace from God. 

2. And certain women. The addition of 



these women made the sight still more strange. 
For such admixture of the sexes was in utter vio- 
lation of the customs of the country. It would 
hardly be tolerated there even now. " Promiscu- 
ous assemblies of men and women are unknown ; 
and even when a crowd collects to see some sight 
or gaze at a show, the sexes are always grouped 
in two distinct and separate portions. A man 
never walks in the street by the side of his wife 
or daughter,' but, when he happens to be out in 
their company, is sure to keep several paces in 
advance of them. * * * In some parts of the 
country, and even among the Christians, a 
woman may not show herself unveiled before her 
father-in-law, and even before her own husband. 
She never speaks to the former except through 
a third person, and should he ask her a question, 
she must whisper her answer to some one who 
will repeat it aloud to him." — ( Van Lennep's Bible 
Lands.) To this add, that the Jewish rabbis did 
not allow the law to be taught to women ; that 
to the present day in the East women are not al- 
lowed an education ; and that even in England 
and America the education of women has been 
accomplished only after much and bitter opposi- 
tion, and the reader will have some conception 
how radical was the movement which Christ in- 
augurated in taking women with him as disci- 
ples. They did not teach. Whether this was 
because it was not Christ's will that women 
should ever be public teachers in the church, or 
because in that age and condition of society their 
teaching would not have been received, and the 
attempt would have been idle, is a question to 
be determined by other passages of Scripture. 
Little can be drawn from the mere negative fact. 
Subsequently, women did become recognized re- 



Ch. VIIL] 



LUKE. 



53 



eth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed ; but set- 
teth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may 
see the light. 

17 For 1 nothing is secret that shall not be made 
manifest ; neither any thinghid that shall not be known 
and come abroad. 

18 Take m heed therefore how ye hear: for n whoso- 
ever hath, to him shall be given ; and whosoever hath 
not, from him shall be taken even that which he seem- 
eth to have. 

19 Then came to him kis mother and his brethren, 
and could not come at him for the press. 

20 And it was told him by certain, which said, Thy 
mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see 
thee. 

21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother 
and my brethren are these which hear the word of 
God, and do it. 

22 Now p it came to pass on a certain day, that he 
went into a ship with his disciples : and he said unto 
them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. 
And they launched forth. 

23 But as they sailed, he fell asleep : and there came 
down a storm of wind on the lake ; and they were 
filled with water, and were in jeopardy. 

24 And they came to him, andi awoke him, saying, 
Master, master, we perish ! Then he arose, and re- 



buked the wind and the raging of the water : and they 
ceased, and there was a calm. 

25 And he said unto them, Where is your faith? 
And they, being afraid, wondered, saying one to an- 
other, What manner ot man is this ! for he command- 
eth even the winds and water, and they obey him. 

26 And r they arrived at the country of the Gada- 
renes, which is over against Galilee. 

27 And when he went forth to land, there met him 
out of the city a certain man, which had devils long 
time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, 
but in the tombs. 

28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down 
before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to 
do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high ? I be- 
seech thee, torment 8 me not. 

29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to 
come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught 
him : and he was kept bound with chains and in tet- 
ters : and he brake the bands, and was driven of the 
devil into the wilderness.) 

30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name ? 
And he said, Legion: because many devils were en- 
tered into him. 

31 And they besought him that he would not com- 
mand them to go out into the deep. 1 

32 And there was there an herd of many swine feed- 



1 ch. 12 


2; Eecles 


12 


:14; 


Matt. 


10:26; 1 

etc. ; Mt 


Cor. 


4: 5 


...m 


James 1 : 


21-25 


. . .n ch 


19 


: 2fi 


Matt. 13 


19; 


Bfi 


29.... 


Matt 


1? 


4fi 




Mark 3 : 32, etc. 


..p 


Mutt 


. 8 


■„>:-; 


rk 4 


: 35, 


etc.. 


..q Ps. 44 


: 23; 


Isa. 51 


9, 


10... 


.r Matt. 8 


.28, 


etc. 


; Mark 


5: 1, 








27: 1; 


James 2 : 


19; 


Kev. 


L»0 


10 


...t Rev 


20: 

































ligious teachers, though never to any consider- 
able extent (Acts 18 : 26 ; 21 : 9 ; Phil. 4 : 3). 

3. Mary, called Magdalene.— Because of 
Magdala. On her life and character see Matt. 
27 : 56, note. Of the fact here stated, that seven 
devils were cast out of her, nothing else is 
known. She is not to be confounded with the 
penitent woman referred to in the preceding 
chapter. On demoniac possession, see Vol. I, p. 
123. — Joanna, the wife of Chuza. Of whom 
nothing else is known. It has been surmised 
that Chuza was the court lord whose son Jesus 
healed, and who believed with all his house (John 
4 : 46-54). It is also noted as one of the coinci- 
dences confirmatory of the truth of the N. T., 
that Herod, the son of one of whose courtiers 
was healed by Christ, and whose steward's wife 
was a disciple, heard much of Christ, and was 
perplexed by what he heard of his wonderful 
works (Matt. 14 : 1, 2). — Susanna. Not mentioned 
elsewhere. 

4-15. Parable of the Sower.— This parable 
was spoken, with others, on the shore of the sea 
of Galilee. The whole series constituted one 
discourse, and interpreted, by an allegory, the 
nature of the kingdom of God. They are re- 
ported more fully in Matthew (ch. 13), where I 
have treated the particulars and noted the varia- 
tions in expression between Matthew, Mark, and 
Luke. See notes there. 

16-18. Parable op the Candle.— This is 
given in the same connection by Mark (ch. 4: 21-25). 
The same instructions are given by Matthew in 
various passages and in different connections. 
See Matt. 5 : 15 ; 10 : 26 ; 13 : 12, and notes thereon. 
Observe the difference between Mark and Luke 



in one important part. Mark says, Take heed 
what, Luke, how ye hear. Both, are needful 
cautions ; yet what we hear depends in part on 
how we hear ; i. e., the attention we give to the 
word spoken. 

19-21. Christ's Mother Attempts to In- 
terrupt His Teaching. — That this was her ob- 
ject appears in Mark 3 : 21. The true chrono- 
logical order is doubtless given by Matthew. See 
Matt. 12 : 46-50, notes. 

22-25. Christ Stills the Tempest.— Comp. 
Matt. 8 : 23-27, and Mark 4 : 35-41. Mark is the 
fullest and most graphic ; he alone gives a defi- 
nite note of time. His language shows that it 
occurred on the evening following the parable by 
the sea-shore. See notes on Mark, where I have 
considered the variations in the language of the 
Evangelists. 

26-39. The Cure of the Gadarene Demo- 
niac— Matt, 8 : 28-34 ; Mark 5 : 1-21. See notes 
there, especially on Matthew, where I have con- 
sidered briefly the question, what is the nature 
of demoniacal possession. Matthew mentions 
two demoniacs, Mark and Luke hut one. Alford 
thinks that there was hut one, and that Mat- 
thew's less circumstantial account is in error in 
this. Such a supposition is at least needless. 
The more violent may alone have been men- 
tioned, or there may have been but one who ex- 
pressed, after his cure, a desire to follow Jesus 
(ver. 38), and therefore Mark and Luke may have 
mentioned only him. Matthew, who refers to 
two demoniacs, says nothing of this request. 

30. Many devils were entered into him. 
Luke's language is more explicit than that of 
Matthew or Mark. I believe it is to be taken as 



54 



LUKE. 



[Oh. IX. 



ing on the mountain : and they besought him that he 
would suffer them to enter into them : and he suffered 
them. 

33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered 
into the swine : and the herd ran violently down a 
steep place into the lake, and were choked. 

34 When they that fed them, saw what was done, 
they fled, u and went and told it in the city and in the 
country. 

35 Then they went out to see what was done ; and 
came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the 
devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, 
clothed, and in his right v mind : and they were afraid. 

36 They also which saw it told them by what means 
he that was possessed of the devils was healed. 

37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the 
Gadarenes round about besought him w to depart from 
them ; for they were taken with great fear : and he 
went up into the ship, and returned back again. 

38 Now the man out of whom the devils were de- 
parted, besought him that he might be with x him : but 
Jesus sent him away, saying, 

39 Return to thine own house,? and shew how great 
things 2 God hath done unto thee. And he went his 
way, and published throughout the whole city how 
great things Jesus had done unto him. 

40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was return- 
ed, the people gladly received him : for they were all 
waiting for him. 

41 And, behold, there a came a man named Jairus, 
and he was a ruler of the synagogue ; and he fell down 
at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come 
into his house : 

42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years 
of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went, the peo- 
ple thronged him. 

43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve 
years, which had spent b all her living upon physi- 
cians, neither could be healed of any, 

44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his 
garment: and d immediately her issue of blood 
stanched. 

45 And Jesus said, Who touched me ? When all de- 
nied, Peter, and they that were with him, said, Master, 
the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest 
thou, Who touched me ? 

46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me : for 
I perceive that virtue e is gone out of me. 

47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, f 



she came trembling,^ and falling down before him, she 
declared unto him, before all the people, for what 
cause she had touched him, and how she was healed 
immediately. 

48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good com- 
fort : thy faith hath made thee whole : go in peace. 

49 While h he yet spake, there cometh one from the 
ruler • of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy 
daughter is dead : trouble not the Master. 

50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, say- 
ing, Fear not : J believe only, and she shall be made 
whole. 

51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no 
man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and 
the father and the mother of the maiden. 

52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, 
Weep not 5 she is not dead, but sleepeth. k 

53 And they laughed him to scorn, 1 knowing that 
she Was dead. 

54 And he put them all out, and took her by the 
hand, and called, saying, Maid, m arise. 

55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straight- 
way : and he commanded to give her meat. 

56 And her parents were astonished ; but he charg- 
ed n them that they should tell no man what was done. 

CHAPTER IX. 

THEN he ° called his twelve disciples together, and 
gave them power and authority over all devils, 
and to cure diseases. 

2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, 
and to heal the sick. 

3 And he said unto them, Take p nothing for your 
journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, nei- 
ther money ; neither have two coats apiece. 

4 And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, 
and thence depart. 

5 And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go 
out of that city, shake <J off the very dust from your 
feet, for a testimony against them. 

6 And they departed, and went through the towns, 
preaching the gospel, and healing every where. 

7 Now Herod r the tetrarch heard of all that was 
done by him: and he was perplexed, because that it 
was said of some, that John was risen from the dead ; 

8 And of some, that Elias had appeared ; and of 
others, that one of the old prophets was risen again. 

9 And Herod said, John have I beheaded : but who 



Acts 19 : 16, 17.... v Ps. 51 : 10.... w Acts 16 : 39.... x Deut. 10 : 20, 21 ; Ps. 116 : 12, 16.... y 1 Tim. 5 :8....z Ps. 126 : 2, 3.... a Matt. 9:18, 
etc.; Mark 5 : 22, etc.. b 2 Chron. 16 : 12 ; Isa. 55 : 2....C Job 13:4....d ch. 13 : 13 ; Matt. 8:3; 20 : 34. . . .e ch. 6 : 19 ; 1 Pet 2: 9.... 
f Ps. 38 : 9 ; Hosea 5 : 3. . . .g Isa. 66 : 2 ; Hosea 13 : 1 ; Acts 16 : 29. . . .h Matt. 9 : 23. etc. ; Mark 5 : 35, etc. . . .i vers. 41, 42. . . j John 
11 :2o; Rom. 4: 7....k John 11 : 11, 13.... 1 ch. 16 : 14; Ps. 22: 7.... m ch. 7 : 14 ; Johu 11 :43....n Matt. 8:4; 9 : 30 ; Mark 5 :43.... 

o Matt. 10: 1, etc. ; Mark 3 : 13, etc. ; 6 : 7, etc p chaps. 10 : 4 etc. ; 12:22 q Neh. 5:13; Acts 13 : 51 ; 18:6 r Matt. 14 : 1, etc. ; 

Mark 6 : 14, etc. 



literally true, i. <?., the demoniac was not under 
the mastery of one evil spirit, but under the 
anarchic control of several. 

31. That he would not command them 
to go into the deep. Parallel to Luke's lan- 
guage is the expression in Mark, "That he 
would not send them out of the country " (Mark 
5 : 10). The word here rendered deep, more prop- 
erly abyss, does not signify the sea, but the 
abode of the lost. It means literally without 
bottom, and is generally rendered "bottomless" 

(Rev. 9 ; 1, 2, 11 ; 11 : 7 ; 17 : 8 ; 20 : 1, 3). It OCCUrS in the 

N. T. only here, in the passages quoted from Rev- 
elation and in Romans 10 : 7 ; in the latter passage 
it signifies simply the place of departed spirits. 

38, 39. Now the man * * * besought, etc. 
The request of the man and Christ's reply are 
narrated by Mark, but not by Matthew. They 
are very significant. When Christ is rejected by 



the Gadarenes, his compassion fails not, and he 
will not leave himself without a witness. Though 
he never returns to the land of the Gadarenes, 
he leaves a preacher there. So rejected, outcast, 
crucified, he bids every one from whom he has 
cast out sin to remain upon the earth and tell 
how great things God has done for him. And 
this is the secret of all power in Gospel preach- 
ing, which is potent only as it is made so by a 
conscious personal experience. 

40-56. Cure of the Woman with an Issue 
of Blood. Raising of Jairus 's Daughter. — 
Comp. accounts in Matt. 9 : 18-26 and Mark 
5 : 22-43. For full treatment see notes in Mark, 
where I have also noted the few additional de- 
tails given here. The time of the events is fixed 
by Matthew as immediately following the feast 
in Matthew's house, but when that was given is 
not certain. 



Ch. IX.] 



LUKE. 



55 



is this, of whom I hear such things ? And he e desired 
to see him. 

10 And the apostles, when they were returned, told 
him all that they had done. And he took them, and 
went aside privately into a desert place, belonging to 
the city called Bethsaida. 

ii And the people, when they knew* it, followed 
him : and he received 11 them, and spake unto them of 
the kingdom v of God, and healed them that had need w 
of healing. 

12 And x when the day began to wear away, then 
came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multi- 
tude away, that they may go into the towns and coun- 
try round about, and lodge, and get victuals : for we 
are here in a desert y place. 

13 But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And 
they said, We have no more but five loaves and two 
fishes ; except we should go and buy meat for all this 
people. 

14 For they were about five thousand men. And he 
said to his disciples, Make z them sit down by fifties 
in a company. 

15 And they did so, and made them all sit down. 

16 Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes ; 
and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, 
and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. 

17 And they did eat, and were all a filled: and there 
was taken up of fragments that remained to them, 
twelve baskets. 

18 And it b came to pass, as he was alone praying, 
his disciples were with him : and he asked them, say- 
ing, Whom say the people that I am ? 



19 They answering, said, John e the Baptist; but 
some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old 
prophets is risen again. 

20 He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am ? 
Peter, d answering, said, The Christ of God. 

21 And he straitly charged them, and commanded 
them to tell no man that thing ; 

22 Saying, The Son e of man must suffer many 
things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests 
and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 

23 And he said to them all, If f any man will come 
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross 
daily, and follow me. 

24 For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it : but 
whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same 
shall save it. 

25 For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the 
whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away ? 

26 For whosoever s shall be ashamed of me and of 
my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, 
when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Fa- 
ther's, and of the holy angels. 

27 But I h tell you of a truth, there be some standing 
here, which shall not taste 1 of death, till they see the 
kingdom of God. 

28 AndJ it came to pass, about an eight days after 
these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and 
went up into a mountain to pray. 

29 And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance 
was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. 

30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, 
which were Moses and Elias : 



sch. 23:8.. 


. . t Rom. 


10 : 


14, 17.... u 


John 6 


:37 


. . -v Acts 28 : 31 . . . 


.w chaps. 1 


53 


5 


31 ; Heb. 4 


16 


...x Mutt. 14: 15, etc. 


; Mark 6 


: 35, etc. : 


John 6 : 5 


etc j 


Ps 


78 : 19, 20 


Ezek. 


::4 : 


25; H 


>seal3 : 5... 


z 1 Cor. 14 


: 40 




a Ps. 107 : i 




b Matt. 


16 : 13, etc.; 


Vlark8 : 27, etc 


c vers. 7, 


}; Matt. 


14 : 


2....d Jol 


n6:69 




b Matt 


16 : 21 ; 17 


22.... f ch. 


14: 


'.'7 


; Matt. 10 : 


38; 


16: 24; 


Mark 8 : 34 ; 


Rom. 8 


13; Co). 


3:5. ...g 
9 : 2, etc. 


Matt. 10 


: 33 


; Mark 8 : 


38 ; 2 Tim 


2: 12. 


. .h Matt. 16 : 28 ; Mark 9 : 


1. 


..i John 8 


52 


Heb. 2 


: 9 j Matt 


. 17 : 1, et 


c.j Mark 



Ch. 9 : 1-6. The Commission of the 
Twelve.— Comp. Matt. 10 : 1-42 ; Mark 6 : 7-13. 
The account in Matthew is much the fullest ; see 
notes there. Cornp. with ver. 6 here Matt. 
11 : 1, and observe that Christ went preaching 
through the cities, while the disciples carried on 
their mission at this time only in the villages, 
i. e., unwalled towns. 

7-9. Death of John the Baptist. — Comp. 
Matt. 14 : 1-12, and Mark 6 : 14-29, who give a 
full account of John's death and the circum- 
stances that led to it. See notes there. 

10-17. Feeding the Five Thousand. — 
Comp. Matt. 14 : 13-27 ; Mark 6 : 30-44 ; John 
6 : 1-21, notes. There is a difficulty in recon- 
ciling ver. 10 here with Mark : 45. Luke re- 
ports Christ as going toward Bethsaida when de- 
parting from the west to the east shore ; Mark 
reports Christ as going toward Bethsaida when 
departing, after the feeding, from the east to the 
west shore. Hence two Bethsaidas have been 
imagined, solely to satisfy the conditions of the 
Evangelists' narrative ; for there is no geograph- 
ical evidence of more than one. For the true ex- 
planation of this difficulty see Mark 6 : 45, note. 
The difficulty was early felt, and has probably 
led to the variety of manuscript readings here, 
some manuscripts reading, To a city called Beth- 
saida, some, To a desert place belonging to the city 
called Bethsaida, some simply, To a desert place. 
If the explanation which I have given in Mark be 
correct, these variations are immaterial, the fact 



being that the feeding took place on a grassy 
plain, near to and east of Bethsaida Julias. 

18-21. Peter's Confession.— Matt.16 : 13-20 ; 
Mark 8 : 27-30. Matthew fixes both the time and 
the locality ; the time, during Christ's retire- 
ment with his disciples at the close of his public 
Galilean ministry ; the locality, near Caesarea 
Philippi. The statement of ver. 18 here, that he 
was alone, praying with his disciples, is peculiar 
to Luke. Matthew alone gives the promise to 
Peter (Matt. 16 : 17-19). See notes on Matthew. 

22-27. First Announcement of our Lord's 
Passion and Resurrection. — Matt, 16 : 21-28 ; 
Mark 8 : 31 ; ch. 9 : 1. All three Evangelists place 
this prophecy immediately after the disciples' 
confession of Christ as the Messiah, and immedi- 
ately preceding the Transfiguration. The report 
is fuller both in Mark and Matthew than here. 
The greater part of this address was delivered to, 
or at least in the presence of, other people. This 
is evident from the language of ver. 23 here, " to 
them all," and the language of Mark (s : 34), " and 
when he had called the people," a concurrent tes- 
timony to the publicity of the latter part of this 
address. With ver. 25 here comp. Matt. 16 : 26 
and Mark 8 : 36. The phrase here, "and lose 
himself or be castaway," interprets the language 
in Matthew and Mark, "lose his own soul." On 
the whole passage see notes on Matthew. 

28-36. The Transfiguration. — Compare 
Matt. 17 : 1-9 and Mark 9:1-8. I have treated 
the subject fully in Matthew. Luke gives some 



56 



LUKE. 



[Ch. IX. 



31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease 
which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. 

32 But Peter and they that were with him were 
heavy k with sleep : and when they were awake, they 
saw his glory, 1 and the two men that stood with him. 

33 And it came to pass, as they departed from him, 
Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is m good for us to be 
here : and let us make three tabernacles ; one for thee, 
and one for Moses, and one for Elias : not knowing n 
what he said. 

34 While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and 
overshadowed them : and they feared as they entered 
into the cloud. 

35 And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, 
This is my beloved Son : hear p him. 

36 And when the voice was past, Jesus was found 
alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in 
those days'* any of those things which they had seen. 

37 And it r came to pass, that on the next day, when 
they were come down from the hill, much people met 
him. 

38 And, behold, a man of the company cried out, 



saying, Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son • for 
he is mine s only child. 

39 And lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth 
out ; and it teareth him that he foameth again ; and, 
bruising him, hardly departeth from him. 

40 And I besought thy disciples to cast him out ; and 
they could not. 1 

41 And Jesus answering, said, O faithless" and per- 
verse v generation ! how long shall I be with you, and 
suffer you ? Bring thy son hither. 

42 And as he was yet a coming, the devil threw him 
down, and tare kim. And Jesus rebuked w the un- 
clean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him 
again to his father. 

43 And they were all amazed x at the mighty power 
of God. But while they wondered every one at all 
things which Jesus did, he said unto his disciples, 

44 Let these sayings sink down into your ears : fory 
the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of 
men. 2 

45 But a they understood not this saying, and it was 
hid from them, that they perceived it not: and they 
feared to ask him of that saying. 



k Dan. 8:18; 10 : 9. . . .1 John 1 : 14. . . .m Ps. 27 : 4 ; 73 : 28. . . .n Mark 10 : 38. . . .0 Matt, 3:17; 2 Pet. 1 : 17, 18. . . .p Deut, 18 : 15 ; Acts 

3: 22.... q Eccles. 3 : 7....r Matt. 17 : 14, etc.; Mark 9 : 17, etc.... 3 Zech. 12: 10 t Acts 19 : 13-16.... u John 20 : 27 ; Heb. 4: 2 

v Deut. 32 : 5 ; Ps. 78 : 8. . . .w Mark 1 : 27. . . .x Ps. 139 : 14 ; Zech. 8 : 6. . . .y Matt. 17 : 22. . . .z 2 Sam. 24 : 14. . . .a chaps. 2 : 50 ; 18 : 34 ; 



additional particulars not given by either of 
the other writers. He tells us the object of 
going up into the mountain, "to pray;" that 
the transfiguration of our Lord took place 
"as he prayed;" the nature of the transfig- 
uration, " the fashion of his countenance was al- 
tered and his raiment was white and glistening ; " 
the theme of conversation between Christ and 
the two spiritual companions, "they spake of his 
decease, which he should accomplish at Jerusa- 
lem ; " that the vision was seen by the Apostles 
"when they were awake; " that Peter spoke as 
Moses and Elias "departed from him," and by 
implication to restrain their departure ; that he 
spake " not knowing what he said ; " and that the 
apostles obeyed the command of Christ, which 
Matthew alone reports, and ' ' told no man in those 
days any of those things which they had seen." 
29. White and glistering. That is, flash- 
ing. The idea conveyed, is of an appearance like 
burnished metal flashing in the sun. Comp. 
Ezek. 1 : 4, 7 ; Nahum 3 : 3. 

31. Spake of his decease. More literally, 
"of his departure" (Greek hlodog). 

32. But Peter and they that were with 
him had been heavy with sleep, hut hav- 
ing kept fully awake they saw his glory. 
Our English version implies that they fell asleep 
and were wakened to see his glory, while the 
original implies that though heavy with sleep 
they kept fully awake. " The word (keep 
awake diwy^yopew) appears to be used expressly 
here to show that it was not merely a vision 
seen in sleep." — (Alford.) 

34. And they, the disciples, feared as the 
others, Christ, Moses, and Elijah, entered 
into the cloud. The original does not imply 
that the disciples entered into the cloud. On the 



contrary, in the Received Text, it distinguishes 
between them and the others who did enter. 
There is some doubt as to the reading, but the 
whole course of the narrative here and in the 
other Evangelists indicates that the cloud re- 
ceived the three out of the sight of the disciples. 

35. Beloved son. The best reading here is, 
My son the elect or chosen. 

36. And they kept it close * * * in those 
days. Presumptively until after Christ's resur- 
rection, in accordance with his command. Matt. 
17 :9. 

37-42. Healing of the Lunatic Boy. — 
Matt. 17 : 14-21 ; Mark 9 : 14-29. The descrip- 
tion is much the fullest and most graphic in 
Mark. See notes there. Matthew calls this boy 
a lunatic ; the symptoms as described here and 
in Mark are those of epilepsy. — The next day. 
The transfiguration was probably at night. The 
scene here described took place on the following 
morning. — Mine only child. Luke alone so 
describes him. — Crieth out. Peculiar to Luke. 
An inarticulate cry is intended ; for the boy was 
both deaf and dumb (Mark 9 : 26). — Perverse 
generation. Rather, perverted race. The lan- 
guage is that of pity, not of indignation. See 
note on Mark 9 : 19. 

Ch. 9 : 43-45. PROPHECY OF OUR LORD'S PASSION. 
The mystery of prophecy. 

Comp. Matt. 17 : 22, 23 ; Mark 9 : 30-32 ; and 
notes on Mark. This prophecy was uttered during 
Christ's retirement, after the close of his public 
ministry in Galilee, and before the commence- 
ment of his principal public ministry in Judea. 
Mark 9 : 30. See note on Matt. 15 : 29-39. 

43. But while all were wondering. As 
before he gave an intimation of his passion im- 



Oh. IX.] 



LUKE. 



57 



46 Then b there arose a reasoning among them, which 
of them should be greatest. 

47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, 
took a child, and set him by him, 

48 And said unto them, Whosoever shall receive 
this child in my name, receiveth me ; and whosoever 
shall receive me, receiveth him that sent me : for d he 
that is least among you all, the same shall be great. 

49 And John answered and said, Master, we e saw 
one casting out devils in thy name ; and we forbad 
him, because he followeth not with us. 



50 And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for f he 
that is not against us, is tor us. 

51 And it came to pass, when the time was come 
that he should be received e up, he stedfastly set his 
lace to go to Jerusalem, 

52 And sent messengers before his face : and they 
went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, 11 to 
make ready for him. 

53 And they did not receive him, because his face* 
was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 

54 And when his disciples James and John saw tJris, 



b Matt. 18 : 1, etc. ; Mark 9 : 34, etc. .. .c Matt. 10 : 40 ; John 12:44; 13 : 20... .d ch. 14 : 11 ; Matt. 23 : 11, 12. 
f ch. 16 : 13 ; Matt. 12 : 30. . . .g Mark 16 : 19 ; Acts 1 : 2 h John 4:4. 



Numb. 11 : 27-29 



mediately after trie apostles' confession of faith 
in his Messiahship, so now after the expression 
of their wonder at his miraculous power. Thus 
he adapts the trial of their faith to its strength. 

44. Matthew and Mark both add a prophecy 
of the resurrection. 

45. It was hid from them in order that 
(ivu) they should not perceive it. "It was 
the divine purpose that they should not at pres- 
ent be aware of the full significance of these 
words." — (Alford.) And this is implied not only 
in the original, which our English version imper- 
fectly renders, but also in the direction, "Let 
tbese sayings sink down into your ears." They 
were to treasure them up for future reflection 
and comprehension, that when the death of our 
Lord came, they might not be overwhelmed, and 
when the resurrection took place, they might be 
prepared to believe it. In this verse we have a 
hint of the office of prophecy, viz., not to make 
clear future events, but to give a ground of faith 
in the divine word, after the fulfillment has 

taken place (John 2 : 22 ; 12 : 16 ; 13 : 19 ; 14 : 29). So 

still the full meaning of the prophecy of Chrisfs 
second coming is, it seems to me, purposely hid- 
den from his church. — They feared. See Mark 
9 : 32, note. 

46-50. Discourse Concerning Greatness 
in the Kingdom of God. — Of this discourse 
much the fullest report is given by Matthew, 
chap. 18. Mark's briefer account contains some 
particulars not given by Matthew (Mark 9 : 33-50). 
See notes on Matthew and Mark. On the varia- 
tions in the three accounts and their reconcilia- 
tion, see Prel. Note in Matthew. The discussion 
took place openly among the disciples, on the 
road, and was stopped by the presence of Christ 
(Mark 9 : 32), but the strife and debate remained in 
their hearts (Luke 9 : 47). The question of John, 
and our Lord's reply (vers. 49, 50), is not reported 
by Matthew, but is by Mark ; see notes there. 

Ch. 9 : 51-56. CHRIST REFUSED HOSPITALITY BY THE 
SAMARITANS. Keligious weath and persecution 
prohibited. — The spirit of Christianitt one of 
long-suffering. 

The time of this incident is entirely uncertain, 
except as it is fixed by ver. 51. It is not narrated 



by either of the other Evangelists. It occurred 
after the close of Christ's Galilean ministry, not on 
the journey to the feast of Tabernacles, as indi- 
cated in the Harmony (vol. 1, 45), for he then went 
up to Jerusalem, "not openly, but, as it were, in 
secret (John 7 : 10) ; " hardly on the journey to the 
feast of Dedication (John 10 : 22, etc.), as suggested 
by Alford, for there is nothing to indicate that 
between these two feasts Jesus left Judea ; he 
certainly did not go back to Galilee, and we have 
no hint of any Samaritan ministry. The chronol- 
ogy of all the weeks between the feast of Dedi- 
cation (john 10 : 22-39) and the resurrection of Laz- 
arus (John, ch. 11), including most of the events and 
instructions in Luke, chaps. 10-18, is involved 
in great uncertainty. See next chap., Prel. Note. 
This incident probably occurred at some point 
during this time, perhaps on Christ's way, at the 
close of his Perean ministry, to the resurrection 
of Lazarus, and probably at about the same gen- 
eral period as the incident in Mark 10 : 32-34. 

51, 52. And it came to pass when the 
time was coming. Not come, i. e., fully come, 
but approaching. — His face was steadfastly 
set. In full knowledge of all that he was to 
suffer. His steadfastness itself indicated the 
conflict within, over wmich he triumphed in thus 
going to Jerusalem. Compare the description in 
Mark 10 : 32.— And sent messengers before 
his face. It seems to me far more natural to 
understand by this, messengers to prepare a place 
for him and his disciples, than, with Alford, to 
suppose that they were directed "to announce 
the coming of Jesus as the Messiah." This he 
seems never to have announced, either directly 
or through others, in any public ministry, while 
he lived. His announcement to the Samaritan 
woman ( John 4 : 26), is no exception, for that was in 
a private conversation. But probably he chose to 
be dependent, as his disciples were, on the hospi- 
tality of the people (Matt. 10 : 9-14) ; this would 
therefore involve his recognition by the people 
as an honored religious leader, if nothing more. 

53, 54. And they did not receive him. 
The bitter hostility between Jews and Samari- 
tans receives several illustrations in the N. T. 
See especially John, ch. 4, notes, and Luke 
10 : £5-37, notes. The refusal to receive Christ 



58 



LUKE. 



[Oh. IX. 



they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to 
come down from heaven, and consume them, even as 
Elias ' did ? 

55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye 
know not what manner of spirit ye are of. 

56 For J the Son of man is not come to destroy men's 



lives, but to save tkem. And they went to another 
village. 

57 And k it came to pass, that, as they went in the 
way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, 1 will follow 
thee whithersoever thou goest. 

58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and 



i 2 Kings 1 : 10, 12 j John 3 : 17 ; 12 : 47 k Matt. 8 : 19, etc. 



was a distinct refusal to recognize him as a pro- 
phet, or a leader worthy of reverence ; it was 
also a recognized indignity in the East, where 
hospitality is a recognized duty, and where the 
traveler is habitually welcomed as a guest, un- 
less some distinct cause exists for refusing to 
receive him. The act is interpreted by 2 John, 
vers. 9 and 10 ; it was an emphatic repudiation of 
him as a heretic, a teacher of falsehood. — Wilt 
thou that we command fire to come down 
from heaven and consume them ? There is 
some doubt whether the added words, As Elias 
did, is not a gloss added by a copyist, in explana- 
tion of the proposition. There is no doubt, how- 
ever, that there was a reference in the disciples' 
minds, to 2 Kings 1 : 9-12. Their proposal indi- 
cates their spirit ; they were full of zeal for their 
Master ; believed that he was on his way to Jeru- 
salem to enter into his kingdom, remembered 
the glory in which they had seen him with Moses 
and Elijah, on the Mount of Transfiguration, and 
were impatient for the disclosure of his power 
and authority. It was the same spirit which led 
Peter to rebuke the Lord for prophesying his 
passion, and to draw his sword to resist the ar- 
rest. It is still the same spirit which seeks to 
accomplish the triumphs of the Redeemer's king- 
dom, not by long-suffering, patience, and love, 
but by the exercise of authority and power. 

55, 56. There is some doubt about the true 
reading of these verses. The phrase, " The Son 
of man is not come to destroy men's lives, out to save 
them,' 1 '' is thought by many scholars to have been 
interpolated, being a customary saying of our 
Lord's (Matt, is : 11 ; Luke 19 : 10). Tischendorf also 
omits the other portion of the rebuke, " Ye know 
not what manner of spirit ye are of" thus leaving 
the narrative simply, "He turned and rebuked 
them, and they went to another village.'''' But in 
the uncertainty of the MSS., the internal evi- 
dence may be accepted as decisive ; and that is in 
favor of the ordinary reading. " The words have 
such a weight of authority against them, that 
they would be worthy of rejection if it were ex- 
plicable how they came into the text. How 
easily, on the other hand, out of regard to 
Elijah, could an intentional omission take place. 
Moreover, the brief, simple, and pregnant word 
of rebuke is so unlike a copyist's interpolation, 
and as worthy of Jesus himself, as it is, on the 
other hand, hard to conceive that Luke, on an 
occasion so unique, limited himself to the bare, 



He rebuked them."— (Meyer.) There is also 
some question as to the translation of the first 
part of the rebuke. It may be rendered inter- 
rogatively, " Know ye not what spirit ye are of? " 
i. e., what is the spirit of Christianity, the 
spirit of meekness and- love ; or it may be ren- 
dered positively, but with the same significa- 
tion, " Ye know not what spirit ye are of" i. e., 
Te know not, do not comprehend, the true 
spirit of Christianity ; or, more severely, " Ye 
know not your own spirit, a spirit alien from 
mine." This, I doubt not, is the true interpreta- 
tion, but the others are grammatically possible, 
and they have defenders. — And they went to 
another village. In accordance with the in- 
structions which Christ had himself given to the 
twelve (Matt. 10 : 23). 

This incident illustrates the Christian method 
of meeting insult and indignity — not by penalty 
but by patience, and, when possible, by avoid- 
ance. But it illustrates much more. The anger 
of the disciples was not aroused by a personal 
affront, but by one offered to their Lord ; it was 
excited, not by self-conceit or pride, but by love 
and zeal for Christ. Zeal for him, when uniting 
with the lower passions, produces not piety but 
fanaticism ; such zeal, so uniting, is not a Chris- 
tian spirit ; it may even result in a devilish 
spirit. Christ condemns, impliedly, all attempts 
to coerce respect for him, or to punish the want 
of it ; and so, not only all religious persecution, 
but also all that wrath and bitterness, which is 
so unhappily common in religious controversies. 
The office of Christianity is wholly remedial, not 
unitive ; its instruments are the forbearance 
and long-suffering of love, not judgment and 
penalty ; light and warmth, not fire from heaven. 
We are to be patient, not merely with wrong per- 
sonal to ourselves, but with the spirit of irre- 
ligion and infidelity, and with affronts offered to 
our Lord. We are not to hate even the enemies 
of Christ. 

Ch. 9:57-62. FOLLOWING CHRIST. Three persons 

ALMOST PERSUADED TO BE CHRISTIANS : THE SELF- 
CONFIDENT AND IMPETUOUS DISCIPLE ; THE PROCRAS- 
TINATING DISCIPLE ; THE IRRESOLUTE DISCIPLE.— THE 
FIRST MUST COUNT THE COST ; THE "SECOND MUST SUN- 
DER THE MOST SACRED TIES ; THE THIRD MUST FOR- 
GET THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND.— DUTD3S TO 
THE LIVING AND DUTIES TO THE DEAD.— DANGERS OF 

even looking back (see note below). 
This incident probably occurred immediately 



Oh. IX.] 



LUKE. 



59 



birds of the air have nests ; but the Son of man hath 
not where to lay his head. 

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he 
said, Lord, suffer ' me first to go and bury my father. 

60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their 
dead ; but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 



61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee ; 
but let me first go bid them farewell which are at home 
at my house. 

62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put 
s hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit tor the 



his 

kingdom of God 



1 1 Kings 19 



after Christ's preaching of the parables concern- 
ing the kingdom of God (Matt., ch. 13). He desired 
to escape from the throng, and bade his own disci- 
ples, i. e., the twelve, to depart with him by boat 
to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Comp. 
notes on Matt. 8 : 18-22, and see Mark 4 : 35, 
with Matt. 8 : 18. 

57. A certain man. A scribe (Matt. 8 : 19, 21), 
and a disciple in the sense in which all were 
termed disciples who were learners of Jesus 
without having fully committed themselves to 
his cause. To understand his spirit we must 
consider both the circumstances and Christ's re- 
sponse ; for here, as elsewhere, the heart of the 
speaker is to be read, not so much from his own 
words, which were perhaps contrived to hide 
his real feelings, as from the reply of Christ, who 
discerned the intents of the heart. Christ had 
just been proclaiming the nature of the kingdom 
which he had come to establish (Matt., ch. 13). He 
now wishes to separate himself from the throng, 
and seek retirement. This scribe demands to in- 
trude himself on Christ's hours of seclusion, and 
bases this demand on a promise to follow him 
wherever he goes. Christ does not refuse his de- 
mand, but tests the value of his offer. " ' What ! ' 
saith he, ' dost thou look to gather wealth by fol- 
lowing me ? Seest thou not then that I have not 
even a lodging, not even so much as the birds 
have.' " — (Chrysostom.) In a similar manner he 
tries the rich young man (Matt. 19 : 21) In neither 
case does he invent a peculiar and a hard condi- 
tion ; he simply requires that those who join his 
band shall share their poverty. The twelve have 

left all tO f Ollpw him (Matt. 4 : 20, 22 ; 9 : 19 ; 19 : 27). 

58. Son of man. A phrase borrowed from 
the prophecy of Daniel, and indicating the Mes- 
siah. See Matt. 10 : 23, note. — Hath not 
where to lay his head. That is, no perma- 
nent home. He was frequently the guest of dis- 
ciples. Frequently he spent the night in the 
open air; no real hardship in Orient as in our 
climate. "Night by night Jesus received from 
the hand of his Father a resting-place, which he 
knew not in the morning." — (Goclet.) 

59,60. Another. Also a disciple (Matt. 8:21). 
An ancient tradition says it was Philip ; Alford 
suggests that the command "follow me," was 
occasioned by some slackness or symptoms of 
decadence on the part of the disciple. It ap- 
pears more probable that he was a disciple only 
in a genera] sense of being a recipient of Christ's 



teachings, not one of the twelve. — Bury my 
father. "As it was the practice to bury on the 
day of death, it is not very likely that this dis- 
ciple would have been here at all if his father had 
just breathed his last. * * * No doubt it was 
the common case of a son, having a frail and 
aged father not likely to live long, whose head he 
thinks it his duty to see under the ground ere he 
goes abroad." — {Br. Brown.) — Let the dead 
bury their dead. That is, Let those that 
abide in the world attend to the duties and 
fulfill the obligations which are supposed to be- 
long to that state. For you there is no turning ; 
a higher duty calls you to preach the Gospel. 
During the midst of the battle the soldier cannot 
leave ranks to bury the dead or even to succor the 
dying. A seeming indifference to them is then 
his duty. It does not follow that we are to 
neglect what are called secular duties for those 
that are termed religious. Nevertheless, life 
presents many occasions in which duty to the 
living is supreme over respect to the dead ; in 
which duty to Christ requires that we should 
forego works which otherwise would be sacred 
duties. Compare for parallel teaching, Matt. 
10 : 37 ; for illustrative example, Mark 3 : 32-35. 

61, 62. Compare Gen. 19 : 26, and 1 Kings 
19 : 20, 21, where Elijah's language is satirical, 
and where Elisha, by his acts, though not in 
words, withdraws his request, leaves his cattle 
and his labors, and slaying two of the oxen for a 
feast in honor of Elijah, follows him without re- 
turning to his home. — No man having put his 
hand to the plough and looking back. 
The figure is one the agriculturist will readily 
appreciate. The ploughman must keep his eye 
on the furrow to be made, and the Christian on 
the life-duties to which he is called. Looking back 
spoils the furrow (comp. pmi. 3 .- 13). Dr. Brown says 
that when Hindoos are converted and are about 
to be baptized, their parents often plead with 
them to pay them one more parting visit before 
taking a step that will cut them off from home 
altogether ; and that those who yield to these 
parental entreaties to go home for a visit never 
return, or do so only after a season, in which 
they abandon Christianity and conform to the 
heathen religion again. This fact is the best 
possible commentary on and explanation of a 
passage which has seemed to some a hard re- 
quirement on Christ's part. 

Dr. Brown's note on this entire 



60 



LUKE. 



[Ch. X. 



(though he bases it on Matt. 8 : 18-22) is ad- 
mirable. The first disciple is the self-sufficient, 
and hence the rash and precipitate disciple. Like 
the Galatians, he begins with an excess of zeal ; 
bike Peter he will follow Christ everywhere (Gal. 

4 : 14, 15 ; 5 : 7 ; Matt. 26 : 33, 70-74). Such need to be 

bidden to count the cost. The second is the 
procrastinating or entangled disciple. He will 
follow Christ, but — ; the answer is, No duty, how- 
ever sacred or solemn, is an excuse for putting 
off the claims of Christ to our full and unre- 
served service. The third is, the irresolute or 
wavering disciple. He halts between two opin- 
ions. To him the word of Christ is, Now is the 
accepted time. (Comp. Luke 14 : 18-20 and 
Matt. 13 : 20-22.) 

Ch. 10 ; 1-24. COMMISSION OF THE SEVENTY. The 
work op the Christian ministry illustrated. See 
on Matt., ch. 10. 

Preliminary Note. — The chronology of the 
events recorded in Luke 10 : 1 to 18 : 34, is very 
uncertain ; the locality is also uncertaiu. With- 
out entering into the unprofitable discussions of 
the harmonists, I give briefly what appears to 
me to be unquestionably the best opinion. 
Christ's Galilean ministry, was brought to an 
end by his rejection of the crown proffered to 
him by the people (John 6 : 15), and was followed 
by a brief period of retirement with his disciples, 
devoted to their instruction in the things con- 
cerning the kingdom of Christ (Matt. 16 •. 21 to ch. is). 
He then went up to Jerusalem to the feast of the 
Tabernacles, and in and about Jerusalem he 
spent about three months, from the feast of the 
Tabernacles to that of the Dedication. Of this 
Judean ministry, John alone gives any account 
(John, chaps. 7-10). Driven out of Jerusalem a 
second time by a mob, he departed into the dis- 
trict beyond Jordan, and taught there. Of this 
fact we have an intimation in Matt. 19 : 1 and 
Mark 10 : 1, but they give no full account of this 
era in his ministry. The incidents and teachings 
here recorded by Luke probably belong to this 
period. This is indeed only an hypothesis ; but it 
is a more probable one than the supposition that 
after he had once gone over the cities and villages 
of Galilee, he returned to a second ministry there. 
It is borne out by a comparison of the character 
of the ministry with that of the land and of the 
people. Perea, so called from the Greek word 
(Tikna) pera, beyond, is a wild and romantic re- 
gion, now but little visited by travelers to the 
Holy Land, who practically regard the Jordan as 
its eastern boundary. Even such writers as 
Stanley, Robinson, and Ritter, give but little in- 
formation concerning it. To it belongs the 
Bashan and the Gilead of the O. T. It was in 
Christ's time a populous and prosperous district. 
The flourishing cities gave to its southern por- 



tion the name of Decapolis. Along the river Jor- 
dan the ruins of one hundred and twentj'-seven 
villages have been counted. Its hill-sides were 
famous for pasturage, and its cattle for their size 
and fatness. Its population was not homoge- 
neous. It formed a part of the Holy Land ; and 
it was a part of Christ's mission to offer the Gos- 
pel to the entire Jewish people before turning 
from them to the Gentiles. But in Perea, the 
Israelites were intermixed with a Gentile popu- 
lation ; the cities of Decapolis were Roman 
cities ; the sheep of Israel, in this heathen so- 
ciety, were wandering sheep — to the haughty 
Judean, lost sheep. To this era of Christ's min- 
istry naturally belong, therefore, the marvelous 
trio of parables — the lost sheep, the lost coin, the 
lost son ; it is here that, in the parable of the 
good Samaritan, he rebukes pride of caste and 
race ; and in the parables of the rich fool and 
of Dives and Lazarus, the pride of wealth. This 
Perean ministry extended, as I suppose, from the 
feast of the Dedication, in December, a. d. 29, to 
the time of Christ's going up for the last time to 
Jerusalem, March, a. d. 30, though in this time 
is included the resurrection of Lazarus and the 
brief subsequent retirement to Ephraim. The 
order of events is very uncertain. For a probable 
order, see Tabular Harmony, Vol. I, p. 45. Of 
this ministry, Matthew and Mark give a brief 

aCCOUnt (Matt. 19 : 1 to 20 : 16 ; Mark 10 : l-3l). Some few 

of the incidents and instructions recorded by 
Luke as in this era, seem, from the parallel ac- 
counts in Matthew and Mark, to belong to the 
Galilean ministry ; of course they may have been 
repetitions. See for examples, Luke 13 : 18-21 ; 
11:14-26; 17:1,2. 

To this period probably belongs the commis- 
sion of the seventy. Their mission is much like 
that of the twelve (Matt., ch. io) ; the difference is 
just such as the difference in circumstances 
would require. The seventy were to go two by 
two ; they were endowed with the same super- 
natural powers ; they were to depend wholly on 
the hospitality of the people ; they were to 
preach the same gospel, "The kingdom of hea- 
ven is at hand." But they were seventy instead 
of twelve, for the territory was larger and the 
time shorter ; they were not forbidden from en- 
tering into any Gentile city, for in Perea Gentile 
and Jew were associated together in the same 
cities ; their ministry was not confined to the 
unwalled towns ; no instructions respecting per- 
secution were given them, for the era of bitter 
persecution did not come till after the death of 
Christ, and their appointment was purely local 
and temporary, while that of the twelve was for 
lifelong service in the church. In the main, 
however, the instructions given to the seventy 
were similar to those given to the twelve, though 
not covering as much ground. For the practi- 



Ch. X.] 



LUKE. 



61 



CHAPTER X. 

AFTER m these things the Lord appointed other 
seventy also, and sent them two and two before 
his face into every city and place, whither he himself 
would come. 

2 Therefore said he unto them, n The harvest truly is 
great, but the ° labourers are few : pray ye therefore 
the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth la- 
bourers into his harvest. 

3 Go your ways : behold, I send you forth as lambs 
among wolves. 

4 Carry p neither purse, nor scrip, nor shoes: and' 
salute no man bv the way. 

5 And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, 
Peace be to this house. 

6 And if the son r of peace be there, your peace shall 
rest 8 upon it : if not, it shall turn to you again. 



7 And in the same house remain, eating and drink- 
ing such things as they give : for l the labourer is wor. 
thy of his hire. Go not from house u to house. 

8 And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they re- 
ceive you, eat v such things as are set before you : 

9 And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto 
them, The w kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. 

io But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they re- 
ceive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the 
same, and say, 

n Even x the very dust of your city, which cleaveth 
on us, we do wipe off against you : notwithstanding 
be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come 
nigh unto you. 

i2 But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolera- 
ble in that day for Sodom, than for that city. 

13 Woe y unto thee, Chorazin ! woe unto thee, Beth- 
saida ! for 2 if the mighty works had been done in Tyre 



etc. . . .n Matt. 9 : 37 ; John 4 : 35. . . .0 1 Cor. 3:9:1 Tim. 5 : 17. . . .p ch. 9 : 3, etc. . . .q Gen. 24 -33 56 • 

. Isa. 9 : 6 s 2 Thess. 3 : 16 ; James 3 : 18 1 1 Cor. 9 : 4-14 ; 1 Tim. 5 : 18 u 1 Tim. 5 • 13 v ICor' 

Matt. 3 : 2. . . .x ch. 9 : 5. . . -y Matt. 11 : 21, etc. . . .z Ezek. 3 : 6. 



a Matt. 10:1, etc.; Mark 
2 Kings 4: 29; Prov. 4 : 25... 
10: 27 



cal and spiritual lessons, therefore, the reader is 
referred to the parallel and prior commission of 
the twelve, reported in Matthew, ch. 10. Here 
I note only what is peculiar to this commission. 

1. After these things. An indefinite note 
of time, indicating clearly that the commission 
here referred to was subsequent to the events 
recorded in the preceding chapter. —Others 
also, seventy in number. That is, others 
than the twelve whose ordination is mentioned 
in ch. 9 : 1. "It is well that Luke has given us 
also the sending of the twelve, or we should 
have had some of the commentators asserting 
that this was the same mission." — (Alford.) As 
the twelve had a clear reference to the twelve 
tribes of Israel (Matt. 19 : 28), so the seventy are sup- 
posed to have reference to the seventy elders of 
Israel (Exod. 24 • 1 ; Numb. ii : 16). — Into every city 
and place whither he himself would come. 
In Galilee Christ himself preached in the cities 
(Matt. 11 : l), and the apostles in the towns and 
villages (ch. 9:6). In Perea, presumably, the 
seventy preached both in the cities and the un- 
walled towns, Christ following with his personal 
ministry chiefly in the former. It is not proba- 
ble that he went into every place where his her- 
alds went. In this respect our age is better than 
theirs, that Christ is always with his ministers, 
and that their work is always to prepare for his 
personal coming. 

2. The harvest truly is great. The same 
metaphor is used by Christ in Matt. 9 : 37. See 
note there. There is no reason to think that 
Luke has misplaced it ; more probably Christ in 
this instance, as in many others, made use of the 
same aphorism at different times. 

3-12. These instructions are substantially the 
same as those given to the twelve in Matthew, ch. 
10. Some matters given there are omitted here ; 
but there is nothing here not contained there ; 
at least the differences are little more than ver- 
bal. To the direction, I send you forth as lambs 
among wolves, Christ adds in Matthew the direc- 



tion, Be ye therefore wise as serpents, etc. The di- 
rection, Salute no man by the way, is peculiar to 
Luke. The Jewish salutations, like those com- 
mon in the Orient to-day, were elaborately for- 
mal, and occupied so much time as to be a serious 
hindrance when there was reason for haste. ,It is 
said that a complete formal salutation between 




SALUTATIONS. 

two persons may consume from one to three hours. 
The disciples were not to stop by the way for 
these elaborate formal and insincere salutations. 
The immediate lesson to them was that their 
time was short and their business urgent. The 
lesson to us is that we are not to allow the for- 
malities of life to interfere with our Gospel min- 
istry. Verses 5 and 6 are parallel to Matt. 10 : 12, 
13. Peace be to this house was a common form of 
Jewish salutation. A son of peace (the article is 
wanting in the original) is one who receives the 
salutation, i. e., is ready to welcome the Gospel 
message of peace. Verses 7 and 8 are equivalent 
to Matt. 10 : 11. The direction simply empha- 
sizes the instruction there given, There abide till 
ye go hence. On the one hand, the apostles 
were not to hesitate from a false delicacy to re- 
ceive the hospitality proffered them ; nor, on 
the other hand, discontented with it, were they 
to go from house to house seeking for better 



62 



LUKE. 



[Oh. X. 



and Sidon, which have been done in you, they had a 
great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and 
ashes. 

14 But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon 
at the judgment, than for you. 



15 And thou, Capernaum, which a art exalted tc 
heaven, shalt be thrust b down to hell. 

16 He c that heareth you, heareth me; and he d that 
despiseth you, despiseth me ; and e he that depiseth 
me, despiseth him that sent me. 



a Isa. 14 : 13-15 ; Jer. 51 : 53 ; Amos 9 : 2, 



, . . d Acts 5:4. 



John 5 : ! 




TYUE ON THE MAINLAND. 



accommodations or for social enjoyment. Verse 

9 evidently imperfectly reports the authority 
conferred upon the seventy ; from their account 
of the result of their mission in verse 17, it is 
clear that their power did not differ from that 
conferred on the twelve in Matt. 10 : 8. Verses 
10-12 amplify the instructions contained in Matt. 

10 : 14, 15. Observe that, whether accepted or 



rejected, the king- 
dom of God draws 
nigh, a power in us 
or a power over us. 

13-15. The same 
woes against Cho- 
razin, Bethsaida, 
and Capernaum are 
reported in Matt. 
11 : 21-24. These 
are Galilean cities ; 
it is quite certain 
that the woes 
against them were 
pronounced by our 
Lord in Galilee, as 
indicated by Mat- 
thew ; but they may 
have been repeated 
by him in this con- 
nection to give sol- 
emn sanction to the 
admonition of the 
preceding verses. The accompanying illustra- 
tion of the present ruins of the once prosperous 
and flourishing city of Capernaum shows how 
completely this prophecy has been fulfilled, and 
affords a memorable and melancholy evidence of 
the truth of Christ's words and the authority of 
his mission. For description of Capernaum and 
its probable site, see Matt. 4 : 13. 




CAPEENAUM. 



Oh. X.] 



LUKE. 



63 



17 And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, 
Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy 
name. 

18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan i as light- 
ning fall from heaven. 

19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on ser- 
pents s and scorpions, and over all the power of the 
enemy : and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 

20 Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not, that the 
spirits are subject unto you ; but rather rejoice, be- 
cause your names are written h in heaven. 

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I 



thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that 
thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, 
and hast revealed them unto babes : even so, Father, 
for so it seemed good in thy sight. 

22 All things » are delivered to me of my Father : and 
no J man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father ; and 
who the Father is, but the Son, and ke to whom the 
Son will reveal him. 

23 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said 
privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things 
that ye see : 

24 For I tell you, that 6 many prophets and kings 



f Rev. 12:8, 9.... g Mark 



: 18 ; Acts 28 : J 
20: 12; 21 : 27. 



.h Exod. ; 

i Matt. 28 : 



2; Ps. 

John 



Isa. 4:3; Dan. 12 : 1 ; Phil. 4 : i 
.j John 6 : 44, 46. . . .k 1 Pet. 1 : 10. 



Heb. 12 : 23 ; Rev. 13 : 8 i 



16. Compare Matt. 10 : 40, note. There the 
Lord declares that receiving Christ's messengers 
is counted as receiving Him ; here He adds that 
despising Christ's messengers, is accounted as 
despising Him— a solemnly suggestive declara- 
tion. 

17-20. The seventy returned again with 
joy. There is nothing to indicate how long 
their mission lasted ; very probably during most 
of Christ's Perean ministry, in which case this 
return, though reported here, did not take place 
until about the time of Christ's going up to 
Jerusalem, recorded in ch. 18 : 31. — Even the 
devils are subject unto us through thy 
name. This was in accordance with the prom- 
ise made to the twelve (Matt. 10 : 8), and probably 
repeated substantially to the seventy. — I beheld 
Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Of 
this expression there are three interpretations : 
(1) the historical, i. e., that Christ refers to the 
original fall of Satan when cast out of heaven 
(isa. 14:12) ; (2) the mystical, i. e., that Christ re- 
fers to a vision or intuition of the fall of Satan, 
he having realized, if not witnessed in a spiritual 
vision, the overthrow of Satan, while his disci- 
ples were casting the evil spirits out ; (3) the 
prophetic, i. e., that Jesus beheld the final over- 
throw of Satan (Rev. 12:9), of which the victories 
won by his disciples were prophecies. In either 
interpretation the overthrow of Satan includes 
the overthrow of all his works and of all the 
agencies which proceed from and co-operate with 
him. I prefer the historical interpretation. The 
disciples return exultant ; Christ moderates 
their exultation, and at the same time deepens 
their assurance of final victory, by telling them 
that in the beginning he beheld Satan fall from 
heaven, and that they are but aiding to complete 
the work which God then began. We are co- 
workers with God (1 Co». 3 : 9), and are battling 
against our already fallen foe. As lightning in- 
dicates both the brightness of the fallen angel 
and the suddenness of his fall ; as lightning 
goes out in instantaneous and utter darkness, so 
the fallen angel of light.-— Power to tread on 
serpents and scorpions. Comp. Ps. 91 : 13. 
The language is here symbolical; serpents and 



scorpions typify the poison and sting of sin, 
with all its dangerous and deadly effects. These, 
the result of the fall, are conquered in redemp- 
tion, being put utterly under foot (Gen. 3 : 15) 
through him who makes us more than conquer- 
ors in all things (Rom. 8 : 37). — Over all the pow- 
er of the enemy. Of Satan. The Christian 
has power over all evil, because by divine grace 
it becomes an instrument of good (Rom. 5 : 1-5). So 
is it literally true that nothing shall by any means 
hurt you. Comp. ch. 21 : 18 ; Rom. 8 : 28, notes. 
— Rejoice not * * * but rather rejoice. 
The Christian is not to rejoice in his own power, 
but rather in this, that he is the subject of re- 
deeming love. Judas Iscariot was one of the 
twelve to whom power was given to cast out 
devils, but his name was not written in heaven. 
The most magnificent successes, the finest ef- 
fects of eloquence, temples filled, conversions 
by thousands, are no cause of real spiritual joy 
to one who is not himself enrolled among the 
redeemed. The figure of a register in which the 
names of the redeemed are written is of frequent 
occurrence in the Scriptures (see marg. ref.). But 
note that the name may be blotted out (Exod. 

32 : 33 ; Jer. 17 : 13 ; Rev. 22 : 19). 

21, 22. Comp. Matt. 11 : 25-27. With Alford, 
"I am convinced that our Lord did utter on the 
two separate occasions these weighty words ; 
and I find in them a most instructive instance of 
the way in which such central sayings were re- 
peated by him." The immediate occasion of 
the utterance here, is Christ's realization of the 
fact, that to his unlearned disciples God has in- 
trusted the revelation of that truth which is to 
overthrow finally the kingdom of Satan. 

23, 24. Comp. Matt. 13 : 16, 17. What there 
he said to the disciples in Galilee he here repeats 
to another circle, not necessarily the seventy 
alone, in Perea. Of the kings who had desired to 
see and hear, David is the most striking example 

(See 2 Sam. 23 : 5 ; Ps. 42 : 2 ; 73 : 25, 26). 

Ch. 10 : 25-37. PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN. 
Christ's method of dealing with the self-right- 
eous. — The catholicity of Christian charity.— 
Spurious sympathy shuns suffering; real sym- 
pathy relieves it.— The worst heresy is the want 



64 



LUKE. 



[Ch.X 



have desired to see those things which ye see, and have 
not seen them ; and to hear those tilings which ye hear, 
and have not heard them. 

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and 
tempted him, saying, 
herit m eternal lite ? 

26 He said unto him, 
how readest thou ? 

27 And he answering said, Thou n shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, 



Master, what 1 shall I do to in- 
What is written in the law ? 



and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind : and 
thy ° neighbor as thyself. 

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: 
this do, and p thou shalt live. 

29 But he, willing to justify 1 himself, said unto Je- 
sus, And who is my r neighbour ? 

30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went 
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among 
thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wound- 
ed him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 



I Acts 16: 30, 31.... m Gal. 3: 18. ...n Dent. 6: 5....0 Lev. 19 : 18. ...p Lev. 18:5; Net. 9 : 29; Ezek. 20 : 11,21; Rom. 10: 5: Gal. 3: 12... 
q ch. 16 : 15 ; Job 32 : 2 ; Rom. 4:2; Gal. 3:11; James 2 : 24. . . .r Matt. 5 : 43, 44. 



of love ; the loving heretic is better than the 
unloving orthodox.— the characteristics of true 
charity.— Christ's word to the inquirer: Go and 
do.— Redemption illustrated. 



Neither the time nor the place of this teaching 
is fixed by the narrative. It probably belongs to 
Christ's Perean ministry. It is peculiar to Luke. 

25. A certain lawyer. One versed in the 
Jewish law, both the O. T. and the Rabbinical 
comments thereon. The term theologian would 
more nearly describe his character. — And 
tempted him. More properly tried Mm. The 
spirit of the inquirer appears to have been 
neither malicious nor docile, but self-confident. 
His language is respectful ; he addresses Christ 
as Master, but his object was not to obtain guid- 
ance for himself, rather to measure the ability of 
the Nazarene Rabbi. Probably his conscience 
had been aroused by the preaching of Jesus, 
which Luke has not reported, but which every- 
where included a demand for repentance. Fully 
recognizing the appropriateness of this preaching 
for the publicans and sinners, who were Christ's 
principal auditors, he did not entertain the idea 
that he needed repentance himself. Hence the 
question, What shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 
Christ answers him as he answered the rich 
young ruler (Matt. 19 : 16-22), in such a way as 
awakened in him a sense that he also needed to 
be justified (ver. 29) ; and Christ's method here, as 
there, is an example to the ministry m dealing 
with the self-righteous. A comparison of this 
lawyer's question with that of the rich young 
ruler (Luke is : is), and that of the lawyer in Jeru- 
salem (Matt. 22 : 34-4o) shows how, in Christ's minis- 
try as in the ministry of his disciples at the pres- 
ent day, the same experiences, expressed in al- 
most identical language, were met with again 
and again. 

26, 27. What is written in the law? 
Christ's principle of action in such cases is to 
throw the inquirer back upon his own moral 
sense, to require him to measure himself, not by 
any new standard of righteousness with which he 
Is unfamiliar, but with that which his own con- 
science already recognizes. Each soul must be 
convicted by its own moral sense, not by that of 
another. So Christ refers this lawyer to his own 



understanding of the law. — How readest 

thou ? If we read the law spiritually, recog- 
nizing its purpose (1 Tim. 1 : 5), we shall realize that 
whatever our outward life has been, we have not 
in spirit and in character conformed to its re- 
quirements. With Christ's question here com- 
pare his admonition in ch. 8 : 18. — Thou shalt 
love the Lord thy God. The lawyer quotes 
from Deut. 6 : 4, 5, and Lev. 19 : 18. Meyer sup- 
poses that the lawyer had before heard Christ 
refer to this summary of the law; and this is 
certainly possible, though not, it seems to me, 
probable. Among the Scribes and Pharisees 
there were some who entertained and taught 
spiritual views of the law of God, and this lawyer 
appears to have belonged to that class. 

28. Thou hast answered right ; this do, 
and thou shalt live. Christ dismisses him 
summarily, almost abruptly, makes no attempt 
to convict him of disobedience, throws him back 
upon his own consciousness. Is this reply un- 
evangelical ? Is it inconsistent with Rom. 3 : 20 ? 
No. He that does this shall live ; he needs no 
evangel ; they that be sick need a physician, not 
they that are whole ; the Gospel is for those, and 
only for those, who are conscious that they have 
not done this, and still desire to enter into life. 
The preaching of the law here and everywhere in 
the N. T. is to produce conviction of sin and the 
sense of the need of a Saviour (Rom., ch. 7). 

29. Willing to justify himself. The ef- 
fect of Christ's teaching shows the result at 
which he aimed. The inquirer's own conscience 
became his accuser ; he knew that he hadnot ful- 
filled this divine law. The question which fol- 
lowed was put to cover his confusion, by leading 
Christ away from the practical and personal 
question to one that was theoretical and measur- 
ably abstract. This second question Christ does 
not answer ; he does not tell the lawyer who is 
the neighbor to whom kindness should be shown, 
but he depicts, in a dramatic form, an act which 
illustrates the law of love, and bids the inquirer 
measure his life by the law so interpreted. 

30. A certain man. Presumably a Jew. 
The whole course of the narrative implies this, 
though it is not expressly stated. — Went down 
from Jerusalem to Jericho, He "went," or 
"was going oZown^ because Jerusalem stood 



Ch. X.] 



LUKE. 



65 



31 And by chance there came down a certain priest 
that way ; and when he saw him, he passed by s on the 
other side. 



32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, 
came and looked l on him, and passed by on the other 
side. 



t Ps. 109 : 25 : Ptov. 27 : 10. 



considerably higher than Jericho — the latter 
lying nearly six hundred feet below the level of 
the Mediterranean sea, so that the language has 
its fitness in this respect — and because the going 
to Jerusalem, which was the metropolis, was 
always regarded as a going up (Acts is ; 22). The 
distance between the two cities was about one 
hundred and fifty stadia — a little over eighteen j 
miles ; the road lying through a desolate and I 



rocky region; "the wilderness that goeth up 
from Jericho " {peat. 34 : 3 ; Josh. 16 : 1). — And fell 
among thieves. Rather robbers. The original 
indicates some of that class of brigands which 
was so numerous in Palestine in the time of 
Christ. The road is a narrow, dreary mountain 
pass, notoriously dangerous then, and equally 
dangerous still ; a considerable guard is always 
necessary in traversing this piece of road. In 




BOAD TO JEEICHO. 



ancient times it was called the " Path of Blood." 
—Which stripped him. Not merely of his 
raiment, but of all that he had. 

31, 32. And by chance. Certainly there is 
nothing in this language to justify the doctrine of 
chance ; but neither does the original imply the 
conjunction of two things, which "fell together, 
according to the omniscient designer's plan." 
The language is that of common life, and justi- 
fies our use of like language in describing those 
coincidences, which are a part of divine provi- 



dence. Bengel well lays out the moral meaning 
in the phrase by chance: " Many good opportuni- 
ties are hidden under that which may seem acci- 
dental."— There came down a certain priest 
that way. Jericho was a city of priests ; the 
chosen residence of many of them when not ac- 
tually engaged in the performance of their 
priestly functions at the temple. Mercy was 
commanded by the law, even to a beast, and 
consideration to a neighbor (Exod. 23 : 4, 5 ; Dent. 
22 : 1-4) ; in disregarding the claims of mercy, the 



66 



LUKE. 



[Oh. X. 



33 But a certain Samaritan," as he journeyed, came 
where he was : and when he saw him, he had compas- 
sion v on him, 

34 And went to him, and bound w up his wounds, 
pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, 
and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 

35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took 



out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said 
unto him, Take care of him ; and whatsoever thou 
spendest more, when I come again, I will repay x thee. 

36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was 
neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves ? 

37 And he said, He that shewed mercy y on him. 
Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise. 



, .w Ps. 147 : 3 : Isa. 1 



.x ch. 14 : 14 ; Prov. 19 : 17 y Prov. 14 : 21 ; Hosea 1 

Matt. 23 : 23. 



; 6 ; Micah 6:8: 



priest and Levite violated the law. Tet excuses 
were not wanting — there was danger in delay 
from the same or other robbers ; it was not the 
priest's business; he was perhaps hastening to 
the temple service, or from it to reach Jericho 
before nightfall ; he was unfamiliar with wounds 
and inapt in caring for them ; the man was very 
likely too far gone to be recovered, and the priest 
would then have a useless burden on his hands. 
He was not without a certain common but spu- 
rious compassion ; he passed by on the other side, 
i.e., he had so much feeling that he was unwill- 
ing to look on the suffering which he thought 
that he was in no condition to cure. — And like- 
wise a Levite. One of the inferior officers of 
the temple, who had charge of its subordinate 
ministries. The example of the preceding priest, 
his superior, might have served as a plea to 
satisfy his own conscience. Worse than the 
priest he " came and looked on him." Trouble 
awakened his curiosity, but it did not awaken 
his sympathy, or incite him to active help. 

33-35. A certain Samaritan. On the his- 
tory and character of the Samaritans, see notes on 
John, ch. 4. They were a mongrel race, partly 
Jewish, partly heathen, having the Bible, yet not 
holding to its precepts. Christ himself expressly 
implies his disapproval of their worship (John 4 : 22), 
and in his commission of the twelve, classes them 
with the Gentiles (Matt. 10 : 5). The Jewish pre- 
judice against them, in which race and religious 
enmity combined, was not unreasonable, except 
as all prejudice is ever unreasonable. Christ 
contrasts the Samaritan with the priest and 
Levite, not to honor Samaria, nor to do despite 
to priests and Levites, but to teach that the most 
despised outcast who fulfills the law of love, is 
better than the most honored minister of religion 
who disregards it.— He had compassion on 
him * * * bound up his wounds * * * set 
him on his own beast * * * took care of 
him * * * took out two pence and gave 
them to the host. Incidentally Christ teaches 
what are the manifestations and what the con- 
stituent elements of a genuine charity. The Sa- 
maritan has compassion, a feeling for and with 
the sufferer ; his feeling leads him not to escape 
the sight of suffering, but to succor the sufferer ; 
he does this not through another, but by a per- 
sonal and a disagreeable service ; at a real self- 
sacrifice, too, for he sets the wounded man on 



his own beast and walks himself; he enlists 
others; and he contributes money as well as 
service, and service as well as money. Oil and 
wine were usual remedies for wounds in the East. 
On Eastern in?is, see ch. 2 : 7, note. This, how- 
ever, was evidently something more than a cara- 
vanserai for the mere shelter of travelers, for 
there was a host, to whose care the wounded 
traveler he entrusted, and who was able to pro- 
vide for him. Two pence (denarii) was two days' 
wages of a laboring man (Matt. 20 : 9, 10). It was 
therefore not an insignificant sum ; moreover it 
was accompanied by a promise to give whatever 
further sum might be necessary for the wounded 
man's keeping. 

36, 37. Became neighbor. Not was neigh- 
bor. By his spirit and his acts he that was a 
stranger became neighbor. "It is not place, but 
love, which makes neighborhood." — (Words- 
worth.) — He that shewed mercy. The law- 
yer cannot bring himself to say "the Samari- 
tan;" he answers by a circumlocution; yet, in 
doing so, announces a principle, instead of 
merely stating a fact. — Go and do thou like- 
wise. There seems to me a significance in this 
command to go. The lawyer is not to stay ques- 
tioning about the theory of religion ; he is to go 
out and practice it wherever human need calls 
for human help. To all captious critics the di- 
rection of the Lord is to go and do. 

The primary lesson of this parable is so plain 
that it cannot be missed. "Whoever is in need is 
my neighbor. True love knows nothing of sec- 
tarian, or national, or race distinctions. Like the 
love of God, it shines on the evil and the good, 
the just and the unjust. Christ rebukes the spirit 
of pride which despises the Samaritan and cher- 
ishes only the Jew, the more effectively be- 
cause indirectly. The second lesson has been 
oftener overlooked. The spirit of genuine phi- 
lanthropy is a Christian spirit, wherever found. 
It is recognized by Christ in the Samaritan as 
well as in the Jew, in the Gentile Cornelius as 
well as in the orthodox Dorcas. It has often 
happened in the history of the church that its 
priest and its Levite have been over-busy with 
the affairs of ecclesiasticism, and have left the 
care of the afflicted or the oppressed to the 
despised and the heretical. In every such case, 
the church has cast Christ out of its own com- 
munion. The heretic, who exercises self-deny- 



Ch. X.] 



LUKE. 



67 



38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he enter- 
ed into a certain village : and a certain woman, named 
Martha, 2 received him into her house. 

39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat a 
at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 

40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, 
and came to him and said, Lord, dost thou not care 



that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her 
therefore that she help me. 

41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, 
Martha, thou art b careful and troubled about many- 
things : 

42 But one thing c is needful: and Mary hath chosen 
that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. 



z John 11 : 1 ; 12 : 2, 3. 



Acts 22 : 3. . . .b ch. 21 : 34 ; Mark 
Eccles. 12: 13; Mark 8 : 36; 



I ; 19 ; 1 Cor. 7 : ! 
1 Cor. 13 : 3. 



ch. 18 : 22 ; Ps. 27 : 4 ; 73 : 25 ; 



ing charity, is more Christian than the ministers 
of the' temple who refuse. The third lesson is 
more doubtful. I do not think that this can 
properly be regarded as a parable of redemption. 
Certainly its primary object was not to teach 
God's redeeming love. Tet it is not without sig- 
nificance that it does illustrate that love so nota- 
bly. Without altogether endorsing, I copy Al- 
ford's parabolic interpretation of it : " All acts 
of charity and mercy done here below, are but 
fragments and derivatives of that one great act of 
mercy which the Saviour came on earth to per- 
form. And as he took on him the nature of us 
all, being 'not ashamed to call us brethren,' 
counting us all his kindred, — so it is but natural 
that in holding up a mirror (for such is a para- 
ble) of the truth in this matter of duty, we 
should see in it not only the present and promi- 
nent group, but also himself and his act of mercy 
behind. And thus we shall not give up the in- 
terpretation of the Fathers and other divines, 
who see in this poor traveler, going from the 
heavenly to the accursed city (josh. 6 : 26 ; 1 Kings 
16 : 34), — the race of man, the Adam who fell ; — in 
the robbers and murderers, him who was a mur- 
derer from the beginning (John 8 : 44) ; in the treat- 
ment of the traveler, the deep wounds and 
despoilment which we have inherited from the 
fall ; — in the priest and the Levite passing by, 
the inefficacy of the law and sacrifice to heal and 
clothe us (Gai. 3 : 21 ) : — in the good Samaritan, 
him of whom it was lately said, " Say we not well 
that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?" 
(John 8 . 48) — who came to bind up the broken- 
hearted, to give them the oil of joy for mourning 
(isa. 6i : 1-3.) ; who for our sokes became poor, that we 
through his poverty might become rich; who, 
though now gone from us, has left with us pre- 
cious gifts, and charged his ministers to feed his 
lambs, promising them, when the chief Shep- 
herd shall appear, a crown of glory that fadeth 

not away (l Peter 5 : 2, 4)." 

Ch. 10 : 38-42. JESUS AT THE HOUSE OF MARTHA AND 
MARY. Much cake, little comfort. — To receive 
fkom Christ is the best service to Christ. 

There can be no reasonable question that the 
Martha and Mary mentioned in this incident are 
the sisters of Lazarus, and that the village is 
Bethany, though Bengel supposes they are not 
the sisters of Lazarus, and Greswell that they 



had another residence in Galilee. There is noth- 
ing in the language here to determine the time 
of this incident; but I think it more probable 
that it belongs in the Judean than in the Perean 
ministry. Wearied with his perpetual conflicts 
with the priests and Pharisees in the temple, 
Christ found in the quiet and docile listener far 
sweeter rest and refreshment than in the pro- 
vision for his physical wants made by the more 
active sister. As they went, i. e., in their journey- 
ing, implies that this occurred at some time in 
Christ's itinerant ministry ; but it may have been 
either as he was going up to Jerusalem, or as he 
was leaving it. For the facts known respecting 
this family, see notes on John, ch. 11. 

38, 39. Martha received him into her 
house. The indication here, and in John, chaps. 
11, 12 : 1-9, is that Martha was the head of the 
household, and therefore probably the elder 
sister. Simon, perhaps the father, or possibly 
the husband, was a leper (Matt. 26 : 6), and either 
dead or absent. — Who also sat at Jesus' 
feet. Both sisters were disciples of Christ ; both 
in this incident served him — one by preparing for 
him a great sapper, the other by listening to and 
receiving with gladness his instructions. Comp. 
John 11 : 5. This fact is important ; the failure 
to note it has led to a frequent misinterpretation 
of this incident. See below. 

40. But Martha was cumbered about 
much serving. Literally, was drawn off. That 
is, her attention was drawn off from the presence 
of her Lord by her very anxiety to prepare for 
him a worthy entertainment. — Dost thou not 
care that my sister hath left me to serve 
alone? To Martha, this seemed selfishness. 
She could not comprehend her sister's absorption 
in the truth and the Teacher. The active may 
be understood by the meditative ; hut the medi- 
tative are always an enigma to the active. With 
Martha's conduct here compare the indication 
of her character in John 11 : 20, and John 12 : 2. 

41, 42. Martha, Martha. This repetition 
of the name gives solemnity to Christ's lan- 
guage, fixes the attention of the listener, and 
implies rebuke, or at least admonition. — Thou 
art careful and troubled. To be careful 
(f.isQiuvdoj), is to be divided in mind between the 
claims of the spiritual and the earthly (see Matt, 
e : 25, note) ; to be troubled, is to be roiled, stirred 
up, agitated ; the opposite of peaceful. The first 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XL 



CHAPTER XI. 



A 



ND it came to pass, that as he was praying in a 
certain place, when he Ceased, one of his disciples 



said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also 
taught his disciples. 

2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our d 
Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 



word, careful, implies the cause, the second, 
troubled, the result. A mind divided between 
concern respecting the inward and the outer 
life, is always perturbed, never knowing the per- 
fect peace of the mind that is stayed on God. 
Christ does not rebuke Martha for serving, but 
for being careful and troubled about much serv- 
ing ; and he does not chide her till she asks him 
to chide her sister. — And one thing is need- 
ful. As in so many other instances, these words 
of Christ have a twofold meaning. Primarily, 
there was no need of the much serving ; Christ 
did not care for bodily indulgence ; simple food, a 
single dish, what was necessary for physical sup- 
port, was all-sufficient for him. But, secondly, 
one thing only is essential, viz., that bread of life 
which Christ alone can give, and which Mary 
was solicitous to receive. These interpretations 
are not inconsistent ; the one is dependent on the 
other. It is because spiritual good is the one 
thing needful, that simple provision for the body 
suffices, and that much serving is needless. 

In studying this incident observe, (1.) Both 
Martha and Mary were disciples of Christ. They 
represent not the contrast between the follower 
of Christ and the follower of the world, but be- 
tween different types of piety in the church. 
(2.) Martha's much serving was for her Lord. 
She desired to prepare a worthy entertainment, 
one worthy as an offering to him and worthy as 
a manifestation of her own hospitality. Love and 
pride combined to prompt her activity. (3.) A 
social lesson lies on the surface of the incident. 
Much serving is not the best serving. The house- 
keeper is not always a homekeeper. Less sup- 
per and more host, rather than less host and 
more supper, give the best entertainment. (4.) 
The religious lesson is one pre-eminently needed 
in our era. Not he who works most for Christ, 
but he who receives most from Christ, serves him 
best. To sit at his feet and learn, is always more 
acceptable than to be careful and troubled about 



much serving. (5.) Both types, the meditative 
and the active, are needed in the church ; both 
are combined in the well-developed character. 
Christ did much serving, going about doing 
good, ministering to the body as well as to the 
soul; but he also sought opportunities for re- 
tirement, solitude, and communion with God. 

Ch. 11 : 1-36. VARIOUS TEACHINGS OF OUR LORD. 
The spirit of prayer illustrated. — The .privilege 
or intercessory prayer. — The duty of importu- 
nity in prayer. — The promise to prayer. — The 
evidence of Christianity in the manifest power 
of Christ. — The first instance of Mariolatry and 
Christ's treatment of it.— The value of a cheer- 
ful religion. 

1-4. As he was praying in a certain 
place. The time and place are wholly un- 
known. The greater part of this chapter con- 
tains teachings given probably at various times, 
and presented here out of their connection. The 
Lord's prayer is reported in two different forms 
by Matthew and Luke. It is not reported by 
the other Evangelists. Alford supposes that 
Christ had once given it to his disciples in the 
Sermon on the Mount ; that he was subsequently 
asked by them to teach them to pray, and that 
he then repeated substantially the form of 
prayer previously given. The more general, and 
it appears to me the better opinion, is that the 
prayer was given in the first instance in response 
to a request ; that it was given not as a form but 
as an embodiment of the spirit of all true prayer ; 
and that Matthew inserted it in the Sermon on 
the Mount, because cognate to the instructions 
there given. 

For convenience of the student, I place here, 
in parallel columns, the three forms of the 
prayer in common use. Those of Matthew, of 
Luke, and of the Episcopal prayer-book. That 
of the latter differs from the gospels in phraseol- 
ogy because taken not from the King James' 
version, but from the earlier Cranmer's Bible. 



M.ATTHET 



9-13. 



Our Father which art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name. Thy king- 
dom come. Thy will he done in 
earth, as it is in heaven. Give us 
this day our daily bread. And for- 
give us our debts, as we forgive our 
debtors. And lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from 
evil : For thine is the kingdom, 
and the power, and the glory, for 
ever. Amen. 



Luke 11 : 2-4. 

Our Father which art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name. Thy king- 
dom come. Thy will be done, as in 
heaven, so in earth. Give us day 
by day our daily bread. And for- 
give us our sins; for we also for- 
give every one that is indebted to 
us. And lead us not into tempta- 
tion : but deliver us from evil. 



Pbayer Book. 

Our Father who art in heaven, 
Hallowed be thy name. Thy king- 
dom come. Thy will be done on 
earth as it is in heaven. Give us 
this day our daily bread. And for- 
give us our trespasses, as we for- 
give those who trespass against 
us. And lead us not into tempta- 
tion ; but deliver us from evil : For 
thine is the kingdom, and the pow- 
er, and the glory, for ever and ever. 
Amen. 



Ch. XL] 



LUKE. 



69 



Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, 
so in earth. 

3 Give us day by day our daily bread. 

4 And forgive us our sins ; for e we also forgive every 
one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into 
temptation ; but deliver us from evil. 

5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a 
friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto 
him, Friend, "end me three loaves ; 

6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, 
and I have nothing to set before him ? 

7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble 
me not: the door is now shut, and my children are 
with me in bed ; 1 cannot rise and give thee. 

8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give 
him because he is his friend, yet because of his impor- 
tunity f he will rise and give him as many as he need- 
eth. 



9 And I say unto you, Ask,e and it shall be given 
you ; seek, and ye shall find ; knock, and it shall be 
opened unto you. 

io For every one that asketh receiveth ; and he that 
seeketh findeth j and to him that knocketh it shall be 
opened. •• 

ii If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a fa- 
ther, will he give him a stone ? or if he ask a. fish, will 
he for a fish give him a serpent ? 

12 Or' if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scor- 
pion ? 

13 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good 

fifts unto your children ; how much more shall your 
eavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask 
him? 

14 And h he was casting out a devil, and it was 
dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone 
out, the dumb spake ; and the people wondered. 



e Mark 11 : 25, 



f ch. 18 : 1-8 . . . . g Matt. 7:7; 21 : 22 ; John 15 : 7 ; James 1 : 5 ; 1 John ; 



For notes on the Lord's Prayer, see Matt. 
6 : 9-13. Forgive us our sins, includes less than 
the phrase in Matthew, Forgive us our debts. 
The one implies only positive transgressions, the 
other all unfulfilled obligations. For we also for- 
give every one that is indebted to us, implies more 
distinctly than the language in Matthew, that 
prayer can be only acceptably offered to God by 
one who is living in allegiance to that law of love 
which is the law of God. The doxology in Mat- 
thew was probably added when the prayer came 
into liturgical use in the church, but certainly at 
an early date. 

5-8. Friend, lend me three loaves. For 
description and illustration of the Jewish loaf 
see Mark 8 : 3-5, notes. Is there a hint of the 
largeness permitted to us in prayer? He asks 
one loaf for himself, one for his friend, the third 
for a reserve. — I have nothing to set before 
him. A suggestion of the truth, that as we have 
nothing wherewith to pay our debts to God 
(ch. 7 :42) so nothing wherewith to supply the 
deeper wants of others. The bread of life, 
which we would impart, we must first ourselves 
receive (Matt. 14 : 19).— Trouble me not * * * I 
cannot rise and give thee. Cannot is equiv- 
alent to will not. The features in this picture 
have no allegorical significance ; there is no re- 
luctance on the part of the Heavenly Father to 

give tO those that need (Matt. 6:8; Ephes. 3 : 20). — 

Importunity. Literally, impudence. The para- 
ble implies that the petitioner, notwithstanding 
the refusal, continues knocking and asking. 

This parable must be read in the light of the 
customs of the East, where inns are exceptional, 
and where travelers are dependent upon hospital- 
ity. It illustrates intercessory prayer ; the re- 
quest being preferred by one, not for himself but 
for another, whose need he feels but is unable to 
supply. Like the parable of the unjust judge, 
Christ here employs the lower to illustrate the 
higher. If a selfish and indolent man, who will 
not rise from his bed for the sake of benevo- 
lence, will yield to importunity, and that the im- 



portunity which approximates impudence, much 
more will God, from sympathy and benevolence, 
yield to the importunity of his children when in- 
spired by spiritual earnestness. There is nothing 
in this teaching inconsistent with Matt. 6:7; for 
repetitions that spring from intensity of feeling 
are not "vain repetitions" (Matt. 26:44). If the 
delay of a divine answer to prayer could be at- 
tributed to God's disapproval of our request, 
importunity would be impertinent ; but when 
the delay is caused by our unreadiness to re- 
ceive, importunity becomes a necessary condition 
of the grant. Importunity for spiritual blessings 
is never impertinent ; as the urgency of a child 
for a mother's aid in learning to read ; or the ur- 
gency of the child of God to receive the gift of 
the Holy Ghost (ver. 13). With the lesson of this 
parable, comp. Gen. 32 : 28 ; Ps. 55 : 17 ; 1 Thess. 
3 : 10 ; 5 : 17 ; 1 Tim. 5 : 5 ; 2 Tim. 1 : 3. 

9-13. These verses correspond with Matt. 
7 : 7-11. I have shown there that they clearly 
belong to the Sermon on the Mount, of which 
they form an integral part ; it seems to me irra- 
tional to suppose that Matthew borrowed and 
incorporated them there ; and improbable that 
Luke borrowed and incorporated them here. 
More probably they were twice uttered by 
Christ on different occasions, and in different 
connections. Verse 12 is peculiar to Luke. 
Scorpions are a pest in Palestine, well known by 
every traveler, who often finds them under his 
pillow, inside his dress, or wakes to find them 
crawling over his face or hands. The natives 
build a ring of fire with dry grass around the 
scorpion, when in despair it stings itself and dies. 
The white body resembles an egg. Alford notes 
that the serpent and the scorpion are positively 
mischievous. When we ask for good, God will 
not give us evil ; we often ask for evil, and God 
gives us good. In Matthew the promise is, that 
the Heavenly Father will give good things; in 
Luke, that he will give the Holy Spirit, i. e., 
Himself (Ephes. 3 : 15-19). This gift of himself neces- 
sarily carries with it the gift of all good things ; 



70 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XL 



15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils 
through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. 

16 And others, tempting him} sought of him a sign 
from heaven. 

17 But he, knowing J their thoughts, said unto them, 
Every k kingdom divided against itself is brought to 
desolation ; and a house divided against a house falleth. 

18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall 
his kingdom stand ? because ye say that I cast out 
devils through Beelzebub. 

19 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom 
do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be 
your judges. 

20 But if I with the finger • of God cast out devils, no 
doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. 

21 When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, 
his goods are in peace : 

22 But when a stronger m than he shall come upon 
him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his ar- 
mour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. 

23 He that is not with me is against me : and he that 
gathereth not with me scattereth. 

24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he 
walketh through dry places, seeking rest ; and finding 
none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I 
came out. 

25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and 
garnished. 

26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other 
spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, 
and dwell there : and the last state of that man is 
worse n than the first. 

27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a 



certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and 
said unto him, Blessed ° is the womb that bare thee, 
and the paps which thou hast sucked. 

28 But he said. Yea, rather blessed v are they that 
hear the word of God, and keep it. 

29 And when the people were gathered thick to- 
gether, he began to say, This is an evil generation: 
they seek a sign ; and q there shall no sign be given it, 
but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 

30 For as Jonas r was a sign unto the Ninevites, so 
shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 

31 The queen s of the south shall rise up in the judg- 
ment with the men of this generation, and condemn 
them : for she came from the utmost parts of the earth 
to hear the wisdom of Solomon ; and, behold, a greater 
than Solomon is here. 

32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment 
with this generation, and shall condemn it : for : they 
repented at the preaching of Jonas ; and, behold, a 
greater than Jonas is here. 

33 No u man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth 
it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a 
candlestick, that they which come in may see the light. 

34 The v light of the body is the eye : therefore when 



thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light : 
but when thine eye is evil, w thy body also is full 01 
darkness. 



35 Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in 
thee be not darkness. 

36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, x hav- 
ing no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as 
when the bright shining * of a candle doth give thee 
light. 



i Matt. 12:38; 16:1 j John 2 : 25 k Matt. 12 : 25 ; Mark 3 : 24. . .1 Exod. 8 : 19 m Isa. 53 • 12 ; Col. 2 : 15 nJohn5:14; Heb. 

6 : 4 ; 10 : 26, 27 ; 2 Pet. 2 : 20, 21 o ch. 1 : 28, 48 p eh. 8 : 21 ; Ps. 119 : 1, 2 ; Matt. 7 : 21 ; James 1 : 25 q Matt. 12 : 40, etc. ; Mark 

8 : 12 r Jonah 1 : 17 ; 2 : 10 si Kings 10 : 1, etc 1 Jonah 3 : 5, 10 u ch. 8 : 16; Matt. 5 : 15, etc. ; Mark 4 : 21 v Matt. 6 : 22, 

etc . . . w Prov. 28 : 22 ; Mark 7 : 22 x Ps. 119 : 105 ; Prov. 6 : 23 ; Isa. 8 : 20 ; 2 Cor. 4:6 y Prov. 4 : 18 ; 20 : 27. 



if we are children of God, we are also his heirs. 

(ch. 15 : 31 : Rom. 8 : 17, 32 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 21-23.) 




THE SCORPION. 

14-26. Parallel to these verses is Matt. 
12 : 22-29 ; 43-45. See notes there. The phraseol- 
ogy is almost identical, except in the parabolic 
illustration of vers. 21, 22 (comp. Matt. 12 : 29), where 
the difference is only verbal. According to Mat- 
thew's report, the possessed was both dumb and 
blind ; the people, amazed at the cure, ask, Is not 
this the son of David ? the complaints come from 
the Pharisees ; the demand for a sign from 
heaven (ver. 16) is made in connection with the 
discourse on Jonah (vers, 29-32). The finger of God 



in ver. 20, is equivalent to the Spirit of God in 
Matt. 12 : 28. It implies the ease with which 
God subdues the powers of evil. I have no 
doubt that this discourse was given in Galilee at 
the time indicated by Matthew, and is reported 
by Luke out of its chronological order ; the hy- 
pothesis of two such discourses, at different 
times and places, seems to me unnecessary and 
improbable. 

27, 28. Peculiar to Luke. Analogous in its 
teaching is the incident in Matt. 12 : 46-50. 
This unspiritual and unintelligent admiration of 
the wonderful healer and teacher, is the first 
instance of that spirit of Mariolatry which 
crept into and corrupted the later church, and 
which to-day in the city of Eome, and in many 
Eoman Catholic countries, places the Virgin 
Mary above the Son whom she bore. Christ's 
reply affords the divine corrective to this most 
subtle form of hero-worship. An honor is re- 
flected upon Mary by the divine choice of her to 
be the Lord's mother ; but he is blessed, not be- 
cause she bore and nursed him, but because she 
believed (ch. 1 : 45), and this blessedness belongs to 
all who accept and keep the word of God. 

29-32. Comp. Matt. 12 : 39-42. See notes 
there. The discourse is in answer to the demand 
reported here in ver. 16. Luke alone tells us 
that it was delivered before the people when 
gathered "thick together." Jonah was a sign 
unto the Ninevites because the judgment and the 



Ch. XL] 



LUKE. 



71 



37 And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him 
to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to 
meat. 

38 And z when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that 
he had not first washed before dinner. 

39 And the Lord said unto him, Now do a ye Phari- 
sees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter ; 



but b your inward part is full of ravening and wicked- 
ness. 

40 Ye fools, did not he that made that which is with- 
out make that which is within also? 

41 But c rather give alms of such things as ye have ; 
and, behold, all things are clean unto you. 

42 But woe d unto you, Pharisees ! for ye tithe mint 



z Mark 7:3 a Matt 23 : 25 b Titus 1 : 15 c ch. 12 : 33 ; Isa. 58 : 7 d Matt. 



deliverance which he had experienced was, at 
least, in part the theme of his preaching. 

33-36. These aphorisms are repeated from 
the Sermon on the Mount. Comp. Matt. 5 : 15 ; 
6 : 22, 23. See notes there. Ver. 36 is peculiar to 
Luke. Dr. Howard Crosby has suggested to me 
an interpretation of this passage, different from 
that which I have given in Matthew. It is cer- 
tainly original and striking. It accords with the 
Greek, and is sustained by ver. 36 here. He ren- 
ders the word light (ywc) as equivalent to radi- 
ance, and the word darkness (ay.otoc) as equivalent 
to gloom. We have then the declaration : "The 
eye gives radiance to the face and person — when 
the eye is dark the whole person is gloomy and 
forbidding ; so if the religion within us be one of 
gloom and darkness, our whole life and influence 
will be repellent ; but if thy whole body (nature) 
be full of radiance (a religion of hope and love), 
having no part dark, the whole (life and influ- 
ence) shall be full of radiance, as when the bright 
shining of a candle doth give thee light." 

Ch. 11 : 37-54. DISCOURSE AGAIXST THE PHARISEES. 
See Matt., ch. 23. 

The sentiments of this discourse, and in many 
respects the language, correspond with Christ's 
denunciation of the Pharisees in the temple at 
Jerusalem, reported in Matt., ch. 23. We must 
suppose either, (1) that Christ delivered no such 
discourse as is there reported, but that Matthew 
gathered up various denunciations of the Phari- 
sees by our Lord, wove them into one discourse, 
and' gave it a place at that period in Christ's 
ministry ; or, (2) that Luke was mistaken as to 
the time and occasion of Christ's utterance of the 
sentiments here reported, and borrowed them 
from the temple discourse, given in Matthew; 
or, (3) that Christ repeated the same substan- 
tial denunciations, and in similar language, at 
different times and on different occasions. Either 
of the first two hypotheses is utterly inconsistent 
with the historical verity of the Gospels, for the 
case is not one in which either of the Evangelists 
leaves the occasion uncertain, and in which we 
may suppose that they have presented in different 
forms reports of the same discourse. The third 
hypothesis is entirely rational. It accords with 
the practice of other teachers, both religious and 
secular ; and with the practice of Christ, as in- 
dicated by the repetition of the same aphorisms 



at different times. In the study of this passage 
compare the notes on Matt., ch. 23, where I have 
treated the matters at length ; here I refer only 
to what is peculiar to Luke. 

37, 38. Christ, who was the guest of publi- 
cans and sinners, did not refuse invitations from 
Pharisees. He went into any company willing to 
receive him, but made every social gathering an 
occasion for religious instruction. "This meal, 
as also that in John 21 : 12-15, was not what we 
now understand by dinner, an afternoon meal, 
but the first meal of the day, the breakfast or 
dejeuner, in the prime of the morning." — {Afford.) 
On the ceremonial washing practised by the 
Pharisees, see Mark 7 : 2-5, notes. The word 
washed here is baptizo (/? 0:7m' feu), an indication 
that that word does not always signify in N. T. 
usage complete submersion, for only the hands 
and feet were washed before meals. Still, the 
hands of those who had gone abroad were re- 
quired to be immersed ; the pouring on of water 
in such case was not sufficient. 

39, 40. See Matt. 23 : 25, 26, note. There 
Christ declares that cleansing that which is with- 
in, makes clean that which is without ; here, 
that if a real reverence for God induced the 
ceremonial scrupulousness of the Pharisees they 
would also be spiritually scrupulous, since the 
same God made both soul and body. The term 
fool is literally thoughtless ones. It is a different 
word from that used in Matt. 5 : 22, and does 
not imply bitterness or contempt. 

41. But rather give in compassion those 
things which are within, and behold all 
things are clean unto yon. This verse is 
peculiar to Luke. There is some difficulty about 
the proper interpretation, which is relieved by 
noting the exact significance of the original, as I 
have given it. Christ says not, give alms, the out- 
ward gift, but give compassion (l?.erjuonvrij), the 
inward feeling ; he says not of such things as ye 
have, but those things ivhich are within (tec hovta) ; 
thus he does not make mere alms-giving an 
atonement and reparation for sin, but he de- 
clares that works of mercy out of a sincere heart 
are a condition of true spiritual cleansing. Comp. 
Hosea 6:6; Isa. 58 : 6-8. Speaking to the Phari- 
sees, who were covetous (ch. 16 : u), he declares that 
a genuine compassion, bestowed on the needy, 
from within, is more cleansing to the soul in God's 
sight, than purification and lustration, or than 



72 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XI. 



and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judg- 
ment and the love of God: these ought ye to have 
done, and not to leave the other undone. 

43 Woe unto you, Pharisees ! for e ye love the upper- 
most seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the 
markets. 

44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! 
for ye are as f graves which appear not, and the men 
that walk over them are not aware of them. 

45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto 
him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also. 

46 And he said, Woe unto you also,jf^ lawyers ! for 



ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye 
yourselves touch not the burdens s with one of your 
fingers. 

47 Woe unto you ! for ye build the sepulchres of the 
prophets, and your fathers killed them. 

48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow h the deeds 
of your fathers : for they indeed killed them,' and ye 
build their sepulchres. 

49 Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will 
send them prophets and apostles, and some of them 
they shall slay and persecute : 

50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was 



Mark 12 : 38 f Ps. 5 : 9 g Isa. 58 : 6 h Ezek. 18 : 19 i Heb. 11 



scrupulosity in giving tithes, down to the minor 
garden herbs. The rendering of our English ver- 
sion accords far better with Pharisaic than with 
Christian teaching, since it implies that alms-giv- 
ing compensates for all vices. The ironical ren- 
dering, given by some commentators, Ye give alms 



* * * and (think) all things are clean unto you, 
hardly accords with the original. 

42. See Matt. 23 : 23, note. 

43. See Matt. 23 : 6, 7, note. The accompany- 
ing illustration, from a drawing by Mr. Rawson, 
shows the ' ' uppermost seats. " These are to the 




THE SYNAGOGUE. SHOWING UPPERMOST SEATS. 



present day hired for the Sabbath by their occu- 
pants. The price puts them beyond the reach of 
a poor man. The reader also pays for the privi- 
lege of holding the Roll of the Law. 

44. See Matt. 23 : 27, note. 

45. This interruption is peculiar to Luke, and 
with vers. 37, 38, indicates clearly that the dis- 
course is one different from that reported in Mat- 
thew. The lawyer is not an advocate but a theo- 



logian, whose special province was the interpre- 
tation of the Mosaic law and the Rabbinical pre- 
cepts. 

46. See Matt. 23 : 4, note. The metaphor is 
taken from the custom of porterage in the East, 
where men often do the work done by beasts of 
burden with us. An Eastern porter will often 
carry a barrel of flour or a bale of cotton, as 
shown in the accompanying illustration. 



Ch. XL] 



LUKE. 



73 



shed from the foundation of the world, may be re- 
quired J of this generation ; 

51 From the blood of Abel k unto the blood of Zach- 
arias, 1 which perished between the altar and the tem- 
ple : verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this 
generation. 111 

52 Woe unto you, lawyers ! for ye have taken away 



the key of knowledge : n ye entered not in yourselves, 
and them that were entering in ye hindered. 

53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes 
and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and 
to provoke ° him to speak of many things : 

54 Laying wait for him, and p seeking to catch some- 
thing out of his mouth, that they might accuse him. 



j Exod. 20 : 5 ; Jer. 51 : 56. . . .k Gen. 4 : 8. . . .1 2 Chron. 24 : 20. . . .m Jer. 7 : 28, 29. . . .11 Mai. 2 : 7. . . .0 1 Cor. 13 : 5. . . .p Mark 12 : 13. 



47, 48. Comp. Matt. 23 : 29, 30, notes; ob- 
serve, however, that there is a marked difference 
between the language there and here. The fact 
that the present generation builds the sepulchres 
of the prophets, is alleged here as an evidence 
that it approves their murder ; and the difficulty 
thus presented is not met by such an explana- 
tion as that of Adam Clarke, that the Jews were 
about to show by their persecution of Christ and 




AN EASTERN POKTER. 

the apostles that they were worthy sons of such 
fathers ; for though this is true, this is not what 
Christ says ; nor by such an explanation as that 
of Stier, "Instead of the penitent confession we 
have sinned, we and our fathers, this last and 
worst generation in vain protests against their 
participation in their fathers' guilt, which they 
are meanwhile developing to the utmost ; " for 
although this is also true, this is not what Christ 
says. The building of the sepulchres of the prophets 
he charges upon the lawyers as a crime, and as a 



continuation of and participation in the murder 
of the prophets. I understand his meaning then 
to be this, Tour fathers killed the prophets, you 
are burying them out of sight ; by your interpre- 
tations and Rabbinical additions and qualifica- 
tions, making the word of God of none effect, 
through your traditions (Mark r •. 13), you are 
building their sepulchres ; so you are doing what 
the fathers did. They silenced the prophets by 
violence, you by your teachings. This interpre- 
tation accords with ver. 52, and with the actual 
facts ; for, as in the mediaeval ages, the Romish 
church buried the Bible beneath its legends and 
traditions, which they pretended to rear to its 
honor, so in the time of Christ the lawyers took 
the Bible away from the common people ; the 
Talmud was a sepulchre reared above the buried 
Word of God. Wherever the teacher covers and 
conceals the Scripture by human tradition, creed 
or philosophy, he is guilty of the crime here 
charged by Christ upon the lawyers. 
49-51. See Matt. 23 : 34, 35, notes. 

52. See Matt. 23 : 13, note. The phraseology 
there is different, but the meaning is the same. 
Knowledge of the truth is represented as the key 
to the kingdom of heaven ; knowledge, not mere 
emotion, but this is not the knowledge of worldly 
wisdom, but of spiritual apprehension, the pro- 
duct of humility and docility. See chaps. 10 : 21 ; 
11 : 28 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 6-12. The scribes and lawyers 
had taught a kind of knowledge ; but they had 
not themselves and they deprived the people of 
spiritual apprehension of the truth. 

53, 54. Peculiar to Luke. Their spirit, and 
the character of their questionings, are illus- 
trated by Christ's experiences in the temple at 
Jerusalem, as recorded in Matt., ch. 22, and in 
John, chaps. 8, 10. 

Ch. 12 : 1-12. WARNING AGAINST HYPOCRISY. The 

POLLY OF AND THE REMEDY FOR HYPOCRISY. 

This passage, which is intimately connected 
with the preceding discourse, is composed of 
aphorisms, nearly all of which are found ver- 
batim in Matthew. They here form a continu- 
ous discourse, inconsistent with the hypothesis 
that they have been brought together by Luke 
from other teachings at other times. Christ had 
before been speaking to the scribes and Phari- 
sees, his adversaries ; he now turns and addresses 
his disciples— not the twelve merely, but all who 



74 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XTL 



CHAPTER XII. 

IN i the mean time, when there were gathered to- 
gether an innumerable multitude of people, inso- 
much that they trode one upon another, he began to 
say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the lea- 
ven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 

2 For r there is nothing covered, that shall not be re- 
vealed ; neither hid, that shall not be known. 

3 Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness 
shall be heard in the light ; and that which ye have 
spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon 
the housetops. 

4 And I say unto you my 8 friends, 1 Be not afraid of 



them that kill the body, and after that have no more 
that they can do. 

5 But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear : Fear 
him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into 
hell • yea, I say unto you, Fear him. 

o Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and 
not one of them is forgotten before God ? 

7 But even the very hairs of your head are all num- 
bered. Fear not therefore : ye are of more value than 
many sparrows. 

8 Also I say unto you, u Whosoever shall confess me 
before men, him shall the Son of God also confess v be- 
fore the angels of God : 



q Matt. 16 : 6, etc. ; Mark i 



. .r ch. 

Jam. 2 



17; Matt. 10 : 26 ; Mark 4 : 22.... a John 15 : 14. ...t Isa. 51 :7-13; Matt. 10:28, etc... 
) ; Ps. 119 : 46 ; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 2 : 10. . . .v Judc 24. 



are willing to learn of him. The connection of 
the discourse may be indicated as follows : The 
Christian must make it his first care to guard 
against hypocrisy (ver. 1), which is always in vain 
(ver. 2) ; and against concealment of the truth 
(ver. 3), the cause of which, ungodly fear, is correct- 
ed by the fear of God (vers. 4, 5), and by trust in 
God (vers. 6, 7), whom the disciples must publicly 
confess (ver. 8) ; to deny him (ver. 9), still more to 
attribute his works to the evil one (ver. 10), involves 
divine condemnation. In making this confession 
trust not to prudent preparation, but to the in- 
spiration of the Holy Ghost (vers. 11, 12). 
1. Insomuch that they trod one upon 



another. One of the many indications of the 
popularity of Christ as a preacher. Comp. Mark 
1 : 33 ; 2:2; 3:9; 6 : 31, etc.— First of all. 
This belongs with the following, not with the 
preceding clause : Beware ye first of all of the leaven. 
Hypocrisy is the greatest danger which threat- 
ens the Christian, the one most to be guarded 
against. On the warning, see Matt. 16 : 6. 

2-5. See notes on Matt. 10 : 26-28. The flat 
housetop is the resort of the inmates, and the 
place where many household operations are 
carried on in Eastern cities, where the streets 
are narrow and private yards and gardens are 
but a few feet square. It is also the most con- 




THE EASTERN HOUSETOP. 



spicuous, and therefore a usual place for the 
promulgation of any news, public or private. 
People in the streets below and on all the neigh- 
boring housetops compose an audience. The 
roof is ordinarily enclosed with a low parapet of 
masonry or a higher one of lattice -work, as in 
the accompanying illustration. Vines are often 
trained for shade, or in their absence matting is 
used. Sleeping on the housetop in dry weather 



Fear him. That is, 



is a common custom. 
God, not Satan. 

6-9. See Matt. 10 : 29-33. Little birds (spar- 
rows, white-throats, and others) are sold in the 
market in the Eastern cities at the present day, 
in bunches of five or more. When very plenty, 
two farthings a bunch would be an adequate 
price. In Matt. 10 : 29 it is said that two spar- 
rows are sold for a farthing. Here , in accordance 



Oh. XII.] 



LUKE. 



75 



9 But he that denieth w me before men shall be de- 
nied before the angels x of God. 

10 And whosoever shall speak a word against the 
Son of man, it shall be forgiven him : but unto him 
that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not i 
be forgiven. 

ii And when they bring you unto the synagogues, 
and unto magistrates, and powers, take 2 ye no thought 
how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall 
say: 



12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach a you in the same 
hour what ye ought to say. 

13 And one of the company said unto him, Master, 
speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance 
with me. b 

14 And he said unto him, Man, c who made me a judge 
or a divider over you ? 

15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware 
of covetousness : d for a man's life e consisteth not in the 
abundance of the things which he possesseth. 



w Acts 3: 13, 14; Rev. 3 : 8....X Matt. 25:31... y Matt. 12 : 31 ; Uohn 5 : 16.... z ch. 21 : 14; Matt. 10 : 19 ; Mark 13: 11.... a Acts 6 : 10 
Acts.ch. 26. ...b Ezek. 33 : 31. ...c John 18 : 35. ...d 1 Tim. 6 : 7-10. ...e Job 2:4; Matt. 6 : 25. 



with the custom still universal in the East of 
throwing in something extra in consideration of 
a larger purchase, there are five for two farthings. 
Sparrows are caught for market mostly by chil- 




SPAEEOWS IN MARKET. 

dren, by means of little cages with a door which 
closes with a spring, or by twigs besmeared with 
bird-lime. They bring the lowest price of any 
game, and were the smallest living creatures 
offered in sacrifice under the Mosaic dispensa- 
tion. It was the cleansed leper, usually reduced 
by his separation to great poverty, who was per- 
mitted to bring this small offering (Lev. u : 4). 
The accompanying illustration of a sparrow 
vendor is from an original sketch by Mr. Raw- 
son. — The very hairs of your head. They 
have been estimated to number 140,000. 

10. See Matt. 12 : 31, 32, notes. 

11, 12. See Matt. 10 : 19, 20, notes. 

Ch. 12 : 13-21. THE PARABLE OF THE RICH FOOL. 
The office of Christ and the church not to 
judge, but to teach. — the subtle danger of 
covetousness. — True and false riches. — The 
theee follies of the wealth-seeker : he hoards 
instead of using; he antictpates life, but not 
death : he thinks to satisfy the soul without 

SOUL-FOOD. 

Peculiar to Luke. Time and place uncertain. 



The instructions which follow (vers. 22-59) are most 
of them not peculiar to Luke. The connection 
is, however, so intimate as to justify the pre- 
sumption that in this, as in many other cases, 
Christ repeated substantially the same instruc- 
tions previously given on different occasions and 
in different connections. 

13, 14. There has been some unprofitable 
discussion whether this man's claim was just or 
not. There is nothing to indicate that even 
Christ knew. Covetousness may be indicated 
by an inappropriate as well as by an unjust 
claim. The man perceives Christ's moral power 
over men, and proposes to use it for his own 
personal benefit. It is this attempt to use Christ 
for a personal and pecuniary benefit which he 
rebukes. The fault, in a different form, is com- 
mon in our own day. " We cannot cast the first 
stone at this poor simpleton, who had no other 
use for the Redeemer's word than to gain by 
means of it a few more acres of the earth for 
himself ; in every age some men may be found 
who hang on the skirts of the church for the 
sake of some immediate temporal benefit." — 
(Arnot.) Christ's reply is that it is not his busi- 
ness, and therefore impliedly not the business of 
the church, to undertake the settlement of per- 
sonal secular disputes. The attempt to do this 
in the middle ages brought corruption within 
and oppression without. His work and that of 
his followers is to instil such principles and pro- 
duce such a spirit among men that they will 
peaceably settle their own disputes. There is 
nothing in 1 Cor. 6 : 1-8 inconsistent with this 
view, for Paul there neither assumes to be judge 
nor advises the church to do so, but admonishes 
the members to settle their controversies by 
amicable arbitration. 

15. Take heed and beware. This double 
admonition indicates the dangerously subtle 
character of covetousness. It is a weed which 
checks the best grains in the best soils (Matt. 
13 : 22).— For a man's life consisteth, etc. 
This clause, which is assigned as a reason for the 
caution, implies that the cause of all covetous- 
ness is a deteriorated moral sense, which regards 
possession as more than character, having as more 
than being. For a comparison of the two kinds 
of wealth, that of property and that of charac- 



76 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XII. 



16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The 
ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully : 

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What 
shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow 
my fruits ? 

18 And he said, This will f I do : I will pull down my 
barns, and build greater ; and there will I bestow all 
my fruits and my goods. 



19 And I will say to my soul, Soul,e thou hast much 
goods laid up for many years ; take thine ease, eat, h 
drink, and be merry. 

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool ! this night thy s 
soul shall be required of thee : then whose shall those 
things be, which thou hast provided ? J 

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself,* and 
is not rich 1 toward God. 



f James4: 15, 16....g Ps. 49: 18....h Ecclea. 11 :9; 1 Cor. 15 : 32 ; James 5 : 5. ...i Job 20 : 20-23; 27:8; Ps.52:7; James 4 : 14. 
j Ps. 39 : 6 ; 49 : 16, 17 ; Jer. 17 : 11... .k Hab. 2 : 9. . . .1 verse 33 ; 1 Tim. 6 : 18 ; James 2 : 5. 



ter, see 1 Tim. 6 : 9-11. The commonness of this 
disease among men is indicated by the question 
so often asked, What is he worth? as though 
man's worth were measured by the value of the 
purse. 

16-19. The ground * * * brought forth 
plentifully. No intimation here of any unjust 
or iniquitous acquisition ; none of oppression of 
laborers, or unfair dealing, or extortion. But, 
on the other hand, there is a plain intimation 
that his wealth was evidently the gift of God, as 
in truth all wealth is ; it was because the ground 
brought forth plentifully that he was rich. — What 
shall I do ? A common perplexity of the 
wealthy. He did not know how to invest his 
surplus. — I have no room where to bestow 
my fruits. "Thou hast barns — the bosoms of 
the needy, the houses of the widows, the mouths 
of orphans and of infants." — {Ambrose,) — There 
will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. 
He would hoard, not use ; the first element in the 
rich fool's folly. For rot, and rust, and vermin, 
and decay, in innumerable forms, begin their 
work with nimble and busy fingers on unused 
property. Every scholar knows that dust and 
mildew deteriorate books faster than careful 
use : many a mill-owner keeps his factory going 
at a loss, to save a greater loss of idleness. All 
mere hoarding — a form of covetousness more 
common in the ignorant East than in intelligent 
America — is folly. — Thou hast much goods 
laid up for many years. He counted on a 
long life ; the second element in his folly. To do 
as though life is to continue, is right ; to enjoy as 
though life is to continue, is wrong. We may 
rightly forecast ; but in all our forecasting 
should consider the uncertainty of life as one of 
the contingencies to be estimated and allowed 
for in our plans. This man was such a fool that 
he did not even know that he must die. — Take 
thine ease ; eat, drink, and be merry. He 
thought to satisfy his soul with granaries and 
their contents ; the third element in his folly. 
He expected to satisfy that which is immortal 
with mortal things, that which was made in the 
divine image, with the food of beasts. 

20, 21. But God said unto him. Not by 
any special revelation, but by the mortal disease 
which attacked him. The language is simply a 
dramatic form of expression, indicating the com- 



munication to him, in the ordinary way, of ap- 
proaching death.— Thou fool. As in ch. 11 : 40, 
unthinking one. See note there. The man whom 
all the world praises as shrewd and sagacious, is 
often the one whom God calls "fool ;" the man 
whom all the world calls rich and prosperous, is 
the one whom God calls poverty-stricken (Rev. 
3 : n). — This night thy soul they shall re- 
quire of thee. They are God's ministering 
angels, whose demands the poor rich fool cannot 
resist. — Then where shall these things be ? 
The dissipation of wealth on the death of the 
possessor, is one of the common experiences of 
life. To guard against it has been one of the 
great objects of men ; the most successful 
method being by the law of primogeniture and 
entail. This dissipation of wealth is elsewhere 
in Scripture urged as an argument against set- 
ting the heart on earthly accumulation (Eccies. 

2 : 18-21 ; Ps. 39 : 6 ; Jer. 17 : ll). — So is he, etc. That 

is, he is just such a fool, and is sure to come at 
last to a like result. — That layeth up treas- 
ure for himself, and is not rich toward 
God. Not all accumulating is condemned ; 
Joseph accumulated ; but all laying up treasure 
for self, i. e., in selfish oblivion of others; and 
this is sure to be accompanied by poverty toward 
God, that is, with the absence of those qualities 
that tend to bring the soul into fellowship with 
God. It is not the desire of wealth which the Bible 
here or anywhere condemns, but the putting of 
wealth above godliness. The lesson of this para- 
ble needs no elucidation ; but it needs constant 
application to modern life, and nowhere more 
than in money-getting and money-ruling America. 

Ch. 12 : 22-59. VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS. TRUSTFUL- 
NESS, CHRISTIAN COURAGE, WATCHFULNESS, COM- 
MENDED. The rewards of fidelity.— The charge 

OE INDIFFERENCE AND UNBELIEF.— THE KESP0NSD3IL- 
ITY OF THE PRIVILEGED. — THE CONFLICTS OF CHRIS- 
TIANITY FORETOLD. — THE DUTY OF STUDYING PROVI- 
DENCE IN THE SIGNS OF THE TIMES. 

Nearly all the teachings which follow in this 
chapter are found in Matthew in other connec- 
tions, but with more or less difference in phrase- 
ology. There is nothing in Luke's language 
here, as there was in ver. 1, to indicate the time 
or place of these sayings of our Lord, and 
whether they belong to his Perean ministry, and 
were repetitions of what he had previously 



Ch. XIL] 



LUKE. 



77 



22 And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say 
unto you, Take" 1 no thought for your life, what ye 
shall eat ; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 

23 The life is more than meat, and the body zs more 
than raiment. 

24 Consider the ravens : " for they neither sow nor 
reap ; which neither have storehouse nor barn ; and 
God feedeth them : how much more are ye better than 
the fowls ? 

25 And which of you with taking thought can add to 
his stature one cubit ? 

26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is 
least, why take ye thought for the rest ? 

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow ; they toil not, 
they spin not : and yet I say unto you, that Solomon 
in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 

28 If then God so clothe the grass, which is to-day 
in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, how 
much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith ? 



29 And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye 
shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind ? 

30 For all these things do the nations of the world 
seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have 
need of these things. 

31 But ° rather seek ye the kingdom of God ; and allP 
these things shall be added unto you. 

32 Fear not, little flock,'' for it is your Father's good 
pleasure to give you the kingdom. 1, 

33 Sell 3 that ye have, and give alms : provide your- 
selves bags which wax not old, a treasure ' in the hea- 
vens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, 
neither moth corrupteth. 

34 For where your treasure is, there will your heart 
be also. 

35 Let" your loins be girded about, and your lights T 
burning ; 

36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for 
their lord, when he will return from the wedding ; that, 



n Matt. 6 : 25, 
28. ..r Matt, 
t Matt. 6 : 20 


etc n 

25 : 34 ; 
; 1 Tim 


Job 38 
John 
6: 19. 


: 41 ; Ps. 147 
8 : 36 ; Heb. 
..u Ephes. 6 


13:' 

: 14 


. Matt. 6 : 33. 
28 ; James 2 : 5 
; 1 Pet. 1 : 13. . . 


..pPs 

2 Pet. 
v Matt 


34 
25 


10 
l, 


; Isa. 
Rev. 
13. 


33 
1 : 


: 16 

6; 


; Rom 
22:5.. 


8 


31, 32... 

Matt. 19 


. q Isa. 40 : 
: 21 ; Acts 


11 

2 


; John 10 : 
45; 4:34 


27 



taught in Galilee, or whether Luke, in ignorance 
of or indifference to the time and place of their 
utterance, has put them here, is a question 
neither easy nor important to be determined in 
respect to most of them. 

22-31. Almost exactly parallel is Matt. 
6 : 24-34. See notes there. — Consider the 
ravens. In Matthew, Behold the fowls of the air. 
The ravens are often spoken of in Scripture as 
objects of the divine care. See Job 38 : 41 ; Ps- 
147 : 9. The term raven includes the crow, rook, 
jackdaw, and the like. There is special signifi- 
cance in these references, since " every raven 
after his kind" was unclean (Lev. n : 15). — The 
lilies of the field. Probably a general term 




LILT OF CHALCEDON. 

for the wild flowers. The accompanying illustra- 
tion of the lily of Chalcedon gives, as well as can 
be done without color, an idea of this, which is 
the most brilliant scarM lily of all Palestine. — 
The grass which is to-day in the field and 
to-morrow is cast into the oven. The an- 



cient oven was of various kinds, sometimes made 
of brick, sometimes of clay, sometimes simply a 
hole in the ground, clay-plastered. The accom- 
panying illustration represents one of the most 
common forms of Eastern ovens. Dried grass 
was a customary fuel in Palestine, where there 
was little wood, and where coal, other than char- 
coal, was unknown.— Neither be ye of doubt- 
ful mind. Literally, raised in theair (fxerscjQi!;^). 
The same metaphor is common in the English ; 
the phrase might well be rendered, Be not in sus- 
pense. Religious indecision Christ condemns. 

32-34. Ver. 32 is peculiar to Luke. A little flock 
is a striking symbol of helplessness. The power of 
the church is not in itself, but in the Giver who 
bestows the kingdom upon it. Parallel in 
spirit is Matt. 10 : 16-19, 23. Parallel to vers. 
33, 34 is Matt. 6 : 19-21. See notes there. The 
bag is the same as the scrip in Matt. 10 : 10 
and Mark 6 : 8. See notes in both places for 
illustration. 

35-48. This discourse on watchfulness con- 
tains the same admonitions, the same metaphors, 
and to some extent the same language employed 
by Christ in the discourse delivered in Jerusa- 
lem in the last days ; but the variations are 
such that it is not probable that this is simply 
a different report of that address. Compare 
Matt. 24 : 42-51, where I have treated fully aU 
that is common to the two discourses. 

35-38. The metaphor of the wedding feast 
here suggested is elaborated by Christ in Matt. 
25 : 1-13, which see for account of marriage cer- 
emonies in the East, and for spiritual applica- 
tion.— Let your loins be girded about. The 
long Oriental robe requires to be taken up and 
the skirt, fastened under the girdle to allow free- 
dom in walking. The lesson is that he is best 
prepared for death who is always ready for 
Christian work. — And the lights burning. 
As interpreted by Matt. 25 : 3-8, the lesson is 
that only he is prepared for either death or work 



78 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XII. 



when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto 
him immediately. 

37 Blessed w are those servants, whom the lord, when 
he cometh, shall find watching : verily I say unto you, 
that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down 
to meat, and will come forth and serve them. 

38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come 
in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those 
servants. 

39 And this know, that if the goodman of the house 
had: known what hour the thief x would come, he would 
have watched, and not have suffered his house to be 
broken through. 

40 Be ye therefore ready y also : for the Son of man 
cometh at an hour when ye think not. 

41 Then Peter said unto him, Lord, speakest thou 
this parable unto us, or even to all ? 

42 And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and 
wise steward, 2 whom his lord shall make ruler over 
his household, to give them their portion of meat in 
due season ? 



43 Blessed a is that servant, whom his lord, when he 
cometh, shall find so doing. 

44 Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him 
ruler over all that he hath. 

45 But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord 
delayeth his coming ; and shall begin to beat b the men- 
servants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be 
drunken ; 

46 The lord of that servant will come in a day when 
he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not 
aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint 
him his portion with the unbelievers. 

47 And that servant which d knew his lord's will, and 
prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, 
shall be beaten e with many strifes. 

48 But he f that knew not, and did commit things 
worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. 
Fore unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be 
much required : and to whom men have h committed 
much, of him they will ask the more. 



w Matt. 24 ; 46, etc. . . .x 1 Thess. 5 : 2 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 10 ; Rev. 3:3; 16 : 15. . . .y ch. 21 : 34, 36. . . .z 1 Cor. 4 : 2. . . .a verse 37. . . .b Matt. 22 : 6. . . . 
c Pa. 37 : 9 ; 94 : 14. . . .q James 4 : 17. . . .e Deut. 25 : 2. . . .f Acts 17 : 30. . . .g Lev. 5 : 17 ; John 15 : 22 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 13. . . .h 1 Tim. 6 : 20. 




AN EASTERN OVEN. 

Who is supplied with the oil of divine grace. — 
May open unto him immediately. The 

Christian must he ready for the summons when- 
ever it comes ; he must need no special prepara- 
tion for death. — He shall gird himself and 
make them sit down to meat. Comp. Rev. 
3 : 20, 21 ; contrast ch. 17 : 8, where see note for 
illustration of Oriental lord and servant. In the 
earthly wedding the lord expects to find the 
table prepared for him by his servants ; in the 
heavenly, he prepares the feast for his servants. 
—Second watch * * * third watch. The 
Greeks and Romans divided the night into four 



equal watches, termi- 
nating respectively at 
9 p. m., midnight, 3 
A.M., and 6 a.m. The 
first watch is not 
named, because the 
marriage itself occurs 
at that time ; nor the 
fourth watch, be- 
cause that would 
postpone the return 
beyond the usual 
time. 

39, 40. Christ 
changes the meta- 
phor. He compares 
his coming to that of a 
thief in the night. See 
Matt. 24 : 43, 44, notes. 
41-46. Peter's 
question is reported 
only by Luke, but 
our Lord's answer to 
it here is repeated 
almost verbatim in 
his discourse in Mat- 
thew. See Matt- 
24 : 45-51, notes. 
47, 48. The last clause of ver. 48 affords the 
key to the interpretation of this confessedly dif- 
ficult passage. The principle which Christ here 
annunciates as that on which God will act in the 
day of judgment is that which men recognize as 
just, and upon which they act in their dealings 
with one another. This principle is that guilt is 
according to the knowledge of the criminal. 
The language of the whole passage is relative. 
No one perfectly comprehends his Lord's will ; 
no one is without some knowledge of it ; abso- 
lute ignorance would be a perfect palliation, but 
ignorance never is absolute. That servant which 



Ch. XII] 



LUKE. 



79 



49 I am come to send fire on the earth ; and what 
will I if it be already kindled ? 

50 But I have a baptism to be baptized with ; and 
how am I straitensd till it be accomplished ! 

51 Suppose ' ye that I am come to give peace on 
earth ? I tell you, Nay ; but rather division : 

52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one 
house divided, three against two, and two against three. 

53 The father J shall be divided against the son, and 
the son against the father; the mother against the 
daughter, and the daughter against the mother ; the 
mother in law against her daughter in law, and the 
daughter in law against her mother in law. 

54 And he said also to the people, When k ye see a 
cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, There 
cometh a shower ; and so it is. 

55 And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, 
There will be heat : and it cometh to pass. 

56 Ye hypocrites ! ye can discern the face of the sky, 
and of the earth : but how is it that ye do not discern 
this time ? 



57 Yea, and why even of 1 yourselves judge ye not 
what is right ? 

58 When m thou goest with thine adversary to the 
magistrate, as thou art in n the way, give diligence that 
thou mayest be delivered from him ; lest he hale thee 
to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, 
and the officer cast thee into prison. 

59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou 
hast paid the very last mite. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

THERE were present at that season rome that told 
him of the Galilseans, whose blood Pilate had 
mingled p with their sacrifices. 

2 And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye 
that these Galilseans were sinners above all the Gali- 
laeans, because they suffered such things ? 

3 I tell you, Nay : but except ye repent,i ye shall all 
likewise perish. 



Matt. 10 : 34.. ..j Micah 7 : 6. . . .k Matt. 16 : 2, etc. 



..11 Cor. 11 : 14. . . .m Matt. 5 : 25. . . .n Isa. 
q Actb 3 : 19 ; Rev. 2 : 21, 22. 



o Acts 5 : 37 p Lam. 2 : 20. 



knew his Lord's will is, primarily, lie that lives in 
the light of revelation ; he that knew not, the 
heathen ; but there are degrees of knowledge in 
Christendom, and he that knows is the educated, 
he that knows not, he that has been brought up 
in an atmosphere of ignorance, superstition, and 
crime. The whole passage is interpreted by 
Rom. 2 : 6-23. The passage certainly teaches 
that there are degrees of punishment in the fu- 
ture life ; and it seems to me, therefore, neces- 
sarily to imply that all who are punished in the 
future are not eternally punished. 

49-53. In spirit this prophecy compares with 
Matt. 10 : 34-37. See notes there. Vers. 49 and 
50 are peculiar to Luke, and there is some diffi- 
culty both in construction and interpretation. — 
I am come to send fire. I think it clear that 
fire here symbolizes, not, as Alford, following 
the older commentators, the gift of the Holy 
Ghost, but conflict and persecution. This is in- 
dicated (1) by the connection ; Christ is speak- 
ing here, not of the coming of the Holy Ghost, 
but of the divisions which were not merely an 
incident, but one of the objects of his ministry, 
the fan by which he is ever separating the wheat 
from the chaff, and which is one of the "all 
things" that work together for the good of 
them that love God ; (2) by the peculiar force of 
the language, which is not lam come to send fire, 
but lam come to cast (Sa/.Sn) fire, or, as Godet, 
to throw a firebrand; (3) by the very passages to 
which Alford refers in support of the other in- 
terpretation. In Matt. 3 : 16, John the Baptist 
speaks of the Holy Ghost and fire, a clear indica- 
tion that the fire was not, as used by him, a 
symbol for the Holy Ghost, but for the persecu- 
tion and the trial which would consume the 
dross and purify the gold. — And what will I 
if it be already kindled ? The utterance is 
broken in the original, and betokens a conflict of 
soul, like that in John 12 : 27, 28. In the oppo- 



sition by the Pharisees (ch. n : 53, 54) Christ per- 
ceives the beginning of this fire ; conflicting 
emotions, of sorrow in the present and prospec- 
tive conflicts, and joy in their final result, find an 
utterance in this language of perplexity. What 
will I, i. e., what more would I, since it is already 
kindled? This interpretation is confirmed by 
the language of the next verse. — I have a bap- 
tism to be baptized with. The same bap- 
tism of fire which he was to minister to his 
church through the ages that waited for his 
coming.— And how am I straitened till it 
be accomplished. Either urged on or dis- 
tressed, perplexed. The original (awe/uuui) will 
bear either translation. The latter seems to me 
to be preferable. Every glimpse into the future, 
every view of that load of sin and sorrow which 
was laid on him for us all, produced in a measure 
that inexplicable experience of anguish which 
was consummated in Gethsemane, and in the ciy 
upon the cross, "My God, my God, why hast 
thou forsaken me ? " We must never forget 
that he bore our sins and sufferings, not in his 
body only or chiefly, but in his heart. 

54-56. Comp. Matt. 16 : 2, 3, notes. On the 
cloud in the west, see 1 Kings 18 : 44 ; on the 
effect of the south wind, see Psalm 103 : 16. 

57. Peculiar to Luke. Alford connects it with 
the request made to Christ to act as judge (ver. 
13) ; but this seems to me far-fetched. The con- 
nection appears to me to be as follows : If you 
were wise you would see the signs of destructive 
storm gathering to overwhelm this nation, and 
would avoid the impending doom. But why, 
apart from these considerations, do you not of 
yourselves judge and do what is right ? 

58, 59. See Matt. 5 r 25, 26, notes. But the 
phraseology, and I think the application, is dif- 
ferent in the two passages. Here the adversary 
is the Roman government ; it brings the Jewish 
nation really to the Mr of God, who is the mag- 



80 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XIII. 



4 Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam 
fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners 
above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem ? 

5 I tell you, Nay : but except ye repent, ye shall all 
likewise perish. 

6 He spake also this parable : A r certain man had a 
fig tree planted in his vineyard ; and he came and 
sought fruit 9 thereon, and found none. 

7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Be- 



hold, these three years 1 come seeking fruit on this fig 
tree, and find none : cut it down ; l why cumbereth it 
the ground ? 

8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it 
alone" this year also, till I shall dig about it, and 
dung it; 

9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that 
thou v shalt cut it down. 



Isa. 5 : 1, etc. ; Matt. 21 : 19. 



John 15: 16; Gal. 5 : 22: Phil. 4: 17. 
Heb. 6 : I 



.t Exod. 32 : 10 u Ps. 



i ; 2 Pet. 



istrate ; wisdom would dictate that the Jews 
should seek diligently to he delivered from him, 
in this case not, as in Matthew, by agreeing with 
the adversary (Matt. 5 : 25), but by securing the ap- 
proving judgment of the Divine magistrate, by 
of their selves judging and doing what is right. 
If this interpretation be correct, the passage 
points out the true way of national safety in all 
times of national danger. 



Oh. 13 : 1-9. TEACHING ON INCIDENTS OF THE DAY. 
PARABLE OP THE BARREN FKi-TREE. The Great 
Teacher takes texts from life. — Misinterpreting 
Providence.— The doom of the unrepentant.— The 
long-suffering of god. — fruitfulness the test 

OF CHARACTER. 

The time and occasion of this teaching are un- 
known. The language of ver. 1, at that season, 
indicates only that it belongs in the Perean min- 
istry. 

1-3. The incident of the slaughter of the Gali- 
leans is not mentioned in secular history. But 
disturbances in Jerusalem, precursors of the final 
outbreak, were common. The slaughter of a few 
Galileans would not be deemed an event of suf- 
ficient importance to justify the attention of the 
historian. The mingling of their blood with their 
sacrifices is mentioned partly as a graphic method 
of telling their fate, partly as an expression of 
added horror, partly, perhaps, as an indication of 
their peculiar guilt. It was the Jewish theory of 
special providence, and it has survived Judaism, 
that special misfortunes or disasters were in- 
dications of the divine displeasure. This both 

Christ (Matt. 5 : 4, 10, II ; John 9 : 3) and his apOStleS (Rev. 

3 : 19 ; i Cor. ii : 32 ; Heh. 12 : 6) declare to be false. The 
language of the narrators here, or their manner, 
implied that they so interpreted this tragedy. 
Christ rebukes this mis-reading of Providence, 
while he makes it an occasion to re-enforce the 
doctrine and duty of repentance. The prophecy, 
Ye shall all likewise perish, was notably fulfilled in 
the case of the Jewish nation, who pei'ished forty 
years later in Jerusalem, largely in the temple 
itself, by the sword of Titus. Christ's custom 
of taking the events of the day for his text is an 
example to his followers in the ministry. 

4, 5. Jesus transfers the minds of his hearers 
from the massacre of the Galileans to the fall of 
the tower of Siloam, probably because Judeans, 



not despised Galileans, perished by the latter ca- 
tastrophe. The fact that the good, as well as 
the wicked, perish by disasters, is conclusive 
against the theory which interprets the special 
disaster as a special judgment. The lesson of 
warning is, as before, a prophecy fulfilled in the 
experience of the nation ; the admonition to re- 
pentance is the same. In both instances, Christ 
elucidates the truth that temporal death is a 
symbol of spiritual death, and that every great 
disaster is a warning, not of special judgment, 
but of impending doom on all who do not escape 
it by repentance.. Nothing is known of this 
tower of Siloam or of its fall, here mentioned. 
For description of Siloam and its pool and aque- 
duct, see John 9 : 7, note. 

6-9. This parable is closely connected with 
what precedes ; its object is to teach the same 
lesson, viz., the necessity of repentance, and the 
alternative, utter destruction. — A certain man 
had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard. 
Mis fig-tree, because in his vineyard, planted by 
himself, and dependent for its existence on food 
gathered from his soil. In all this, it is an appro- 
priate and significant type of man, who, by 
every consideration, belongs to God. The plant- 
ing of trees in the vineyard, which is not common 
in Europe, is so in Palestine. — Unto the dress- 
er of his vineyard. The gardener. There has 
been some unprofitable discussion whether the 
owner represents Christ and the dresser the Holy 
Spirit, or the owner the Father and the dresser 
Christ. Unprofitable I call it, because all such 
attempts to press a literal interpretation of each 
feature of the parable is usually unprofitable, 
and generally distracts from the central lesson. 
The N. T. nowhere recognizes any such clearly 
drawn lines of distinction between the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost, as were evolved in 
the later scholastic theology. Under the guise 
of a discussion between the owner and the dress- 
er, is dramatically and forcefully represented the 
problem presented to divine love by human ob- 
duracy.— These three years I come seeking 
fruit. It is unquestionably a significant fact, 
that three years was probably the duration 
of Christ's ministry among the Jews. During 
this three years, he came seeking fruit and find- 
ing none ; his second coming will be to destroy 
the unfruitful and to gather the fruitful into his 



Ch. XIII.] 



LUKE. 



81 



10 And he was teaching in one of the synagogues on 
the sabbath. 

ii And, behold, there was a woman which had a 
spirit of infirmity w eighteen years, and was bowed to- 
gether, and could in no wise lilt up herself. 



12 And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, 
and said unto her, Woman, thou x art loosed from thine 
infirmity. 

13 And hey laid his hands on her : and immediately 
she was made straight, and glorified God. 



, x Joel 3 : 10 y Mark 16 



garner. — Why cumbereth it the 
ground ? " Why, besides bearing no 
fruit, is it impoverishing the soiV — (Al- 
ford. ) No man is merely useless. Like 
the unfruitful tree, lie is a despoiler if 
he be not a fruit-bearer. — Till I shall 
dig about it, and dung it. Thatis, 
"hollow out the earth from about the 
stem, filling up the space with manure, 
as one may now see done to the orange 
trees in the south of Italy." — {Trench.) 
A symbol of the special means of grace, 
provided always for the same purpose, 
to make fruitful that which is unfruit- 
ful (2 Pet. 3 : 9). The object of all this 
gracious work is "good works, which 
God hath before ordained that we 
should walk in them " (Ephes. 2 : 10). — 
After that, thou shalt cut it down. 
The period of grace is also one of pro- 
bation ; if the divine grace proves in- 
efficacious, the unfruitful shall be de- 
stroyed. It seems to me impossible to 
reconcile Christ's language in the pre- 
ceding instruction and in this parable, 
with the idea of a universal restora- 
tion. 

The attempt to answer specifically the 
question, what is the fig-tree, what 
the vineyard, who the owner, who the 
dressSr of the vineyard, etc., is worse than in 
vain. The beauty of the allegory is destroyed 
by this attempt to press to a literal inter- 
pretation all its details. But the following 
hints are clear: (1.) The imagery is borrowed 
from the parable, familiar to Christ's auditors, 
in Isaiah 5 : 1-7, and from other uses in the O. T. 
of the same figure, likening God's people to a 
tree in a vineyard. (2.) The fig-tree in a vine- 
yard point* rather to an individual in a favored 
community, enjoying the means of grace and 
spiritual culture, than to a nation (the Jewish) in 
the world. (3.) It is therefore primarily an ad- 
monition to the individual Jew, who was planted 
in the midst of God's special people, prided him- 
self on that fact, and yet brought forth no fruit ; 
but, secondarily, and with equal force, it applies 
to the individual of our own day, in the midst 
of a Christian community, enjoying Christian 
advantages, but bringing forth in life and char- 
acter no Christian fruit to God's glory or man's 
benefit. (4.) It emphasizes the truth, so often 




FIG-TREE. 

inculcated by Christ, that the test, and the only 
test of character, is fruit-bearing ; and though 
Christ does not here indicate what are Christian 
fruits, they are abundantly and clearly indicated 
elsewhere. See especially Gal. 5 : 22, 23. (5.) It 
illustrates the patience and long-suffering of 
God toward us — his waiting to be gracious, and 
it emphasizes this truth by its solemn close : If 
not, then after that, thou shalt cut it down. For 
the divine grace is not ignorance, indifference, or 
unconcern, as is shown by the certainty of divine 
judgment on the finally unfruitful. 



Ch. 13 : 10-17. CERE OF THE INFIRM WOMAN. 

USE AND ABUSE OF THE SABBATH. 



The 



The account of this miracle is peculiar to 
Luke. The object of the healing appears to me 
to have been to afford an occasion for a rebuke 
of the Pharisaie abuse of the sabbath ; in that 
respect the spiritual teaching is analogous to 
that of Matt. 12 : 10-13 ; Mark 3 : 1-5. The time 
and place of the incident are unknown. 



82 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XIII. 



14 And the ruler of the synagogue answered with in- 
dignation, because that Jesus had healed z on the sab- 
bath day, and said unto the people, There a are six 
days in which men ought to work : in them therefore 
come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. 

15 The Lord then answered him, and said, Thou 
hypocrite ! b doth not each one of you on the sabbath 
loose c his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him 
away to watering ? 

16 And ought not this woman, being a daughter" 1 of 
Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen 
years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day ? 

17 And when he had said these things, all his adver- 
saries were ashamed ; e and all the people rejoiced for 
all the glorious f things that were done by him. 



18 Then said he, Unto * what is the kingdom of God 
like ? and whereunto shall I resemble it ? 

19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man 
took and cast into his garden ; and it grew, and waxed 
a great tree ; and the fowls of the air lodged in the 
branches of it. 

20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the 
kingdom of God ? 

21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in 
three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. . 

22 And he went through the cities and villages, 
teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 

23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that 
be saved ? And he said unto them, 

24 Strive h to enter in at the strait gate : for many, 1 



as chaps. 6:7; It : 3 ; Matt. 12:10; Mark 3:2; John 5 : 16. . . .a Exod. 20 : 9. . 
14 : 5. . . .d ch. 19 : 9. . . .e Isa. 45 : 24 ; 1 Pet. 3:16... f Exod. 15 : 11 ; Ps. Ill 
7:13 i John 7 : 34 ; 8 : £1 ; Rom. 9 : 31. 



ch. 12 : 1; Prov. 11 : 
Isa. 4: 2....g Matt. 



Matt. 7:5; 23 : 13, 28.... c ch. 
31 ; Mark 4 : 30, etc. . . .h Matt. 



10, 11. He was teaching in one of the 

synagogues on the sabbath. One of the 

many indications that Christ was accustomed to 
employ the sabbath, the Jewish sabbath not our 
Sunday, for purposes of religious worship and in- 
struction. For account of the synagogues, see 
Matt. 4 : 23, note. — A woman which had a 
spirit of infirmity. Apparently the case was 
one of paralysis. 

12, 13. He called to her, and said to 
her. This miracle is peculiar, in that there is 
no evidence of any act of faith on the part of the 
woman. It can hardly be inferred, from ver. 14, 
that she came for the purpose of being healed. 

14-16. The ruler of the synagogue. The 
president of the college of elders, who answered 
in some respects to the pastor of a modern 
church, but was more an executive officer and 
less a teacher. — Answered with indigna- 
tion. We need not suppose, because Christ 
called him a hypocrite, that this indignation was 
feigned. The Rabbinical laws forbade works of 
healing, though the Mosaic law did not. See 
Matt. 12 : 10, note ; and his indignation was that 
of an ecclesiastic, whose church regulations had 
been openly set at defiance. — There are six 
days, etc. His argument is this : This healing 
is not a work of necessity, since the woman 
might have been healed on the week day. If, as 
some have contended, only necessary works of 
mercy can be done on the sabbath- day, there 
would be no answer to his argument. He ad- 
dresses it to the people, because too much awed 
by the miracle to address Jesus directly. — Hyp- 
ocrite. Literally, stage-player. See Matt. 6 : 2, 
note. "The Lord saw the real thoughts of his 
heart; that they were false, and inconsistent 
with his pretended zeal. A man hardly could 
give forth a doctrine so at variance with com- 
mon-sense and common practice, without some 
by-end, with which he covered his violation of 
truth. That by-end here was enmity to and 
jealousy of Jesus."— (Alford.)— Loose his ox 
or his ass. That motives of self-interest should 
be more powerful than motives of humanity, 



arouses the indignation of our Lord. He implies 
the manifold contrast between the dumb beast 
and the daughter of Abraham ; the one bound to 
the stall, the other bound by disease ; the one for 
safe-keeping, the other by Satan ; the one for a 
few hours, the other for eighteen years. — Whom 
Satan hath bound. It was a popular belief 
that disease was inflicted by evil spirits. Christ 
employs the language of the people in character- 
izing this woman's affliction. I see no reason for 
thinking that it was a case of demoniacal posses- 
sion, though this view is entertained by some 
commentators. Beneath his words, however, 
there is a deeper meaning ; disease, as well as 
death, is a part of the wages of sin — one of the 
consequences of the bondage of Satan ; to release 
from it, is always legitimate sabbath work. 

17. All his adversaries were ashamed. 
Rather, brought to shame, i. e., shamed before the 
people. — All the people rejoiced. In this 
controversy between Christ and the ecclesias- 
tics, as in the later one between Luther and the 
church of Rome, the people were on the side of 
the reformer. 

18-21. Parables of Mustard Seed and 
Leaven.— See Matt. 13 : 31-33, notes. Whether 
the parables were repeated by Christ in this con- 
nection, as Alford supposes, or whether they are 
reported by Luke without reference to their con- 
nection, is not certain ; neither is it important. 

Ch. 13 : 22-35. VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS OF OUR LORD. 
Conditions of salvation. — Degrees in salvation. — 
An illustration of the Christian use of satire. 

22-25. And he was going through the 
cities and villages. The location and limits 
of this journey are not definitely fixed, but it is 
generally believed to have been through Perea, 
and to have been concluded when, in answer to 
the summons from Bethany, Christ reached the 
house of Lazarus (John n : 3-7). — Are there few 
that be saved ? The Jewish doctrine of Last 
Days, included a belief in the destruction of all 
who were not admitted to the Messianic king- 
dom. To a devout Jew then, as to many Chris- 



Ch. XIIL] 



LUKE. 



83 



I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be 
able. 

25 When oncei the master of the house is risen up, 
and hath shut k to the door, and ye begin to stand with- 
out, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, 1 Lord, 
open unto us ; and he shall answer and say unto you, 
I know you not whence ye are : 

26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and 
drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our 
streets. 

27 But he m shall say, I tell you, I know you not 
whence ye are ; depart from me all ye workers" of in- 
iquity. 

28 There ° shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, 



when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and 
all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you 
yourselves thrust out. 

29 And theyp shall come from the east, and from the 
west, and from the north, and from the south, and 
shall sit down in the kingdom of God. 

30 And, behold, there 1 are last which shall be first, 
and there are first which shall be last. 

31 The same day there came certain of the Phari- 
sees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence : 
for Herod will kill thee. 

32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, r 
Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to-day and to- 
morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 3 



32 : 6 ; Isa. 55 : 



.k Matt. 25: 10.... 1 ch. 
24: 51.... p Rev. 1 



46. . . .m Matt. 7 : 22, 23 ; 25 : 12, 41 . 
10 4 Matt. 19 : 30 r Zeph. 3 : 3 



Ps. 6:8; 101 
Heb. 2 : 10. 



,...o Matt. 8:12; 13:42; 



tians now, it seemed as though there were very- 
few who had complied with the conditions of sal- 
vation. The question was analogous to one often 
asked in our day, respecting the salvation of the 
heathen. Christ never answers questions in the- 
oretical theology. To the questioner he replies, 
in effect, Never mind ; do you strive to enter in 
to the heavenly kingdom. Similar in spirit is his 
answer to the question of the lawyer in ch. 
10 : 29, to that of Peter in ch. 12 : 41, and to that 
of Judas (not lscariot), in John 11 : 22. — 
Strive to enter in. The word rendered strive 
(uy<0vl£(ouai) agonizomai) is the one from which 
comes our word agonize, and is employed in 
describing the combats in the public games (l Cor. 
9 : 25). The striving to enter in must be in accord 
with the mighty working of God in us (col. i : 29) ; 
it must be fervent and with prayer (col. 4 : 12) ; it 
is characterized by Paul as the good fight or 
strife, in contrast with the strife after secular re- 
wards (l Tim. 6 : 12 ; 2 Tim. 4:7); to Oppose US in this 

strife are the world, the flesh, and the devil 

(2 Cor. 4:4; Gal. 5:17; Eph. 6 : 12) ; to Conquer in it 

we must put on the whole armor of God (Eph. 
6 : 13). The lesson which Christ inculcates, is 
that though always a simple, it is not always an 
easy thing, to enter into Christ's kingdom. — 
The strait gate. That is, narrow gate. The 
spirit of real hearty allegiance to Jesus Christ, 
by which we enter in to him. Matt. 7 : 13, 14, 
note.— Many will seek to enter in, and 
shall not he ahle when once the Master of 
the house is risen up, etc. If this passage be 
read, not with a period at the close of ver. 24, 
but with a comma, much of the difficulty which 
has been felt in the interpretation of the passage 
vanishes. There is a triple contrast, (1) between 
striving and mere seeking, many who desire never 
becoming Christians, because they are not willing 
to take up their cross to follow Christ (ch. u -. 33) ; 
(2) between entering in at the strait gate and 
attempting to climb up some other way ; (3) be- 
tween striving to enter now and waiting until the 
Master of the house has risen up and shut to the 
door. This door is shut either when there is no 
more space for repentance (Matt. 12 : 32 ; Heb. 6 : 4-6), 



or when death calls the soul to judgment. Thus 
Christ teaches in this passage the threefold con- 
ditions of salvation : an earnest spirit, the way of 
self-sacrifice, the present time. — Ye begin to 
stand without and to knock at the door. 
The figure is drawn from the customs of the 
wedding feast, and is elaborated in Matt. 
25 : 1-13 ; see notes there. — I know you not. 
Whence are ye ? This punctuation appears to 
me preferable to the one ordinarily adopted. 
Ver. 26 is an answer to this question. 

26, 27. We have eaten and drunk in 
thy presence, and thou hast taught in our 
streets* Compare Matt. 7 : 22. There, reli- 
gious work for the Lord, here the enjoyment of 
Christian privileges and the receipt of Christian 
instruction on earth, are made the ground of a 
claim for admission to Christ's eternal kingdom. 
Both are disallowed: neither enjoying religion, 
receiving religious instruction, or engaging in 
so-called religious work, is an entering into the 
strait gate. All these may coexist with practical 
injustice in the daily life. See further, notes on 
Matt. 7 : 21-23, and comp. Eph. 5 : 6. 

28, 29. See Matt. 8 : 11, 12, notes. The con- 
nection here is, There are many that shall be 
saved ; beware lest you are cast out. 

30. See Matt. 20 : 16, note. The meaning here 
is primarily, Many now last, i. e., Gentiles, shall 
be first then, and many now first, i. e., Jews, shall 
be last then ; but, secondarily, as in Matthew, Of 
those entering into the kingdom, many who hold 
the highest place now, will begin with shame to 
take a lower seat, and many occupying the lower 
places will be bidden to go up higher (ch. 14 : 9, 10). 
As in the kingdom of darkness (ch. 12 : 47, 48) so in 
the kingdom of light, there are degrees and 
ranks ; in reward as in punishment. 

31-33. There came certain of the Phari- 
sees. Their object was to induce Christ to de- 
part from their territory ; probably the Perean 
district, of which, as well as of Galilee, Herod 
was ruler. It is very possible that they were 
moved to this message by intimations directly 
received from Herod ; a little later we know that 
the Pharisees and the Herodians combined under 



84 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XIV. 



33 Nevertheless, I must walk to-day, and to-mor- 
row, and the day following : for it cannot be that a 
prophet perish out of Jerusalem, 

34 O Jerusalem,' Jerusalem, which killest the pro- 
phets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee ; how 
often would I have gathered thy children together, as 
a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye 
would not ! 

35 Behold, your 11 house is left unto you desolate: 



and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until 
the time come when ye shall say, Blessed v is he that 
cometh in the name of the Lord. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

AND it came to pass, as he went into the house of 
one of the chiet Pharisees, to eat bread on the 
sabbath day, that they watched w him. 



t Matt. 23:37.... u Lev. 26 : 31, 



Ps. 69 : 25 ; Tsa. 1:7; 5 : 5, 6 ; Dan. 9 : 27 ; Micah i 
37 : 32 ; Isa. 29 ; 20, 21 ; Jer. 20 : 10, 11. 



12.... v ch. 19: ; 



the influence of a common enmity to Christ (Matt. 
22 : is, 16). The Herod here mentioned is the one 
who had imprisoned and killed John the Baptist 
(Matt, m : 1-12, note), whose assassination took place 
in Macherus, a fortress in Perea. Neither Herod 
nor the Pharisees were willing to take measures 
to assassinate Jesus, for his popularity was 
too great (chaps. 12 : 1 ; 13 : 17 ,• 15 : 1). They there- 
fore resorted to this subterfuge to get rid of 
him. — Tell that fox. An appropriate charac- 
terization of Herod, whose history is one of in- 
trigue and cunning. It is almost the only case in 
which Christ applies an opprobious epithet to 
an individual. The fact is no less significant than 
this one remarkable exception to the general 
principle of his life. In this case, by a single 
word, he indicated to the people, the Pharisees 
and Herod, that he understood the design ; and 
the word was one sure to be remembered and 
repeated. By his undisguised contempt he de- 
feated the attempt to overawe the people by this 
unholy combination between an apostate church 
and a wicked king. — I do cores to-day and 
to-morrow, and the third day I shall be 
perfected. The language is enigmatical ; there 
is difficulty in its interpretation. I believe, how- 
ever, (1) that the word days is to be taken in its 
literal signification. The attempt to interpret the 
first day as equivalent to Christ's present work- 
ing, to-morrow as the time intermediate the 
present and his passion, and the third day as the 
passion week, seems to me forced and unnatu- 
ral ; (2) I shall be perfected, clearly refers to the 
finishing of Christ's career by his passion and 
death. The same Greek word is used in this 
sense in John 4 : 34 ; 5 : 36 ; 17 : 4 ; comp. Acts 
20 : 24. I believe then that we are to understand 
Christ's reply to the Pharisees to be, that he will 
remain but two days longer in that district, and 
that then will begin that passion at Jerusalem, 
which was the perfecting of his ministry. May 
these two days be those referred to in John 
11 : 6 ? It is true Christ tarried, after the resur- 
rection of Lazarus, in Ephraim (John n : 54) ; but 
this was only with his disciples. His public min- 
istry, except as it was perfected in the Passion 
week, came to an end when he left Perea to go 
to Bethany.— It cannot be that a prophet 
perish out of Jerusalem. Not literally true ; 
John the Baptist was himself an exception. 



34, 35. See Matt. 23 : 27-39, notes. The dis- 
course in which it there appears, is not reported 
by Luke, who gives barely a brief suggestion of 
it. It seems to me more probable that Luke has 
here inserted this apostrophe to Jerusalem out 
of its place, than that Christ repeated it on this 
occasion ; because, (1) an appeal to Jerusalem, in 
Perea, seems not probable, though it might have 
been suggested by the close of the previous sen- 
tence ; (2) it is not true that Jerusalem did not 
see Christ until his second coming, and to sup- 
pose that the close of ver. 35 refers to the greet- 
ings given him on his triumphal entry into Jeru- 
salem (Matt 21 : 9) deprives it of its significance, 
and gives to the same words here and in Matt. 
23 : 39, a radically different meaning. 



Ch. 14 : 1-14. VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS AT THE HOUSE 
OF A PHARISEE. Lawful to do good on the sab- 
bath day. — The Christian boad to pbefebment. — 
The law or Christian hospitality. 

The time and place of the incident and teach- 
ings here recorded are unknown. They are ell 
peculiar to Luke. The parable of the Great Sup- 
per (vers. 15, 24) follows immediately after, and is 
directly connected with the semi-social instruc- 
tions contained in the first part of the chapter. 

1. To eat bread on the sabbath day. 
The Pharisaic sabbath was a festival. " The day 
was one of festal rejoicing. Social entertain- 
ments were part of its religious observance. 
Every week the pious Jew repeated that Thanks- 
giving day which New England enjoys but once 
a year. Walking, social visiting, even games 
and dancing, were a part of the Pharisaic observ- 
ance of the sabbath day. * * * ' Meet the sab- 
bath with a lively hunger ; let thy table be cov- 
ered with fish, flesh, and generous wine.' 'Let 
the seats be soft, and adorned with beautiful 
cushions, and let elegance smile in the furniture 
of the table.' 'Assume all thy sprightliness.' 
' Utter nothing but what is provocative of mirth 
and good humor. ' ' Walk leisurely, for the law 
requires it, as it does also longer sleep in the 
morning.' 'Be resolute and merry, though 
ruined in debt. ' Such are some of the Rabbini- 
cal precepts concerning the sabbath. Whatever 
else may be said of them, they certainly do not 
sustain the popular conception of the Jewish 
sabbath as a day of rigorous asceticism. On the 



Ch. XIV.] 



LUKE. 



85 



2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him, 
which had the dropsy. 

3 And Jesus, answering, spake unto the lawyers and 
Pharisees, saying, Is x it lawful to heal on the sabbath 
day ? 

4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and 
healed him, and let him go ; 

5 And answered them, saying/ Which of you shall 
have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not 
straightway pull him out on the sabbath day ? 

6 And they could not answer him again to these 
things. 

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were 
bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief 
rooms ; saying unto them, 



8 When thou 2 art bidden of any man to a wedding, 
sit not down in the highest room ; lest a more honour- 
able man than thou be bidden of him ; 

9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to 
thee. Give this man place ; and thou begin with shame 
to take the lowest room. 

io But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the 
lowest room ; that when he that bade thee cometh, he 
may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher : then shalt 
thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at 
meat with thee. 

ii For whosoever a exalteth himself shall be abased ; 
and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When 
thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, 



x ch. 13 : 14. . . .y ch. 13 : 15. . . .z Prov. 25 : 6, 



.a ch. 18 : 14 ; 1 Sam. 15 : 17 ; Job 22 : 29 ; Ps. 18 : 27 ; Prov. 15 : 33 ; 
23 : 12 ; James 4 : 6 ; 1 Pet. 5 : 5. 



contrary, if we may believe the not altogether 
impartial testimony of the early Christians, it 
was too often wasted in idleness, and degraded 
by sensuality and drunkenness." — (AbboWs Jesus 
of Nazareth.) It is noteworthy that Christ, who 
rebukes the legalism and asceticism with which 
the Pharisees hedged about the sabbath, and the 
spirit of inhumanity which they concealed under 
a pretence of sabbath observance, utters no 
word of condemnation of the social freedom 
which characterized the day. Observe, too, that 
while he accepts all invitations, he makes every 
social gathering an occasion of direct religious 
instruction. — They were watching him. 
What sort of hospitality was this which invited 
him to a feast of suspicion ? 

2, 3. There was a certain man before 
him. In the free social life of the East, 
strangers often entered into the court-yard of 
the house where such an entertainment was given. 
See chap. 7 : 37, note. This dropsical man may 
have been a guest ; more probably he was a 
stranger. It is reasonable to surmise that he 
came to seek healing. — Is it lawful ? The 
Pharisees were watching Christ ; Christ tries the 
Pharisees. According to Rabbinical law it was 
unlawful. On several occasions Christ con- 
demned and repudiated this traditional addition 
to the Sabbath laws of the 0. T. (chaps. 13 : 11-17, 

notes ; Matt. 12 : 9-14, notes). 

4-6. Some manuscripts, and these the better 
ones, for ass read son (for ovog, vldg). The verse 
will then read, Which of you shall have a son, or 
even an ox, fallen into a pit ? The argument here 
is precisely the same as in Matt. 12 : 11. 

7-10. The language, He put forth a parable, 
implies that we are to look in this teaching for a 
spiritual meaning beneath the social instruction 
which lies on the surface. See below. The word 
room is used in the original sense of the word, as 
equivalent to space or place. In the East, in the 
time of Christ, tables were ordinarily arranged 
around an open square, in the manner indicated 
in the annexed diagram ; see also Matt. 26 : 20, 
note, for illustration. The middle place on each 



couch of the triclinium was considered the place 
of honor, here designated as the chief room, 
(7tqoj?oxXloLu). In our democratic society we can- 
not well appreciate the bitterness of the conten- 
tion which often took place among guests for 
these places of honor. It was probably such a 
strife that Luke refers to in ch. 22 : 24. A strife 
for ecclesiastical pre-eminence, not in real power, 
but only in title and dignity, between the Arch- 
bishops of Canterbury and York, agitated all 
England for a long time, and was finally settled 
by making the one Primate of England and the 
other Primate of all England. In the interpreta- 
tion of this parable 
observe, (1) Christ 
does not condemn 
social ranks and 
grades ; he does not 
demand even the 
abolition of first 
and second places 
at the table. (2.) 
He addresses him- 
self to the motive 
of approbativeness. 
O. T. and in the 



1 


( : 


in 


II 


ii 


Ml 


i 




i 


ii 


in 





TRICLINIUM. 



The Bible, both in the 
N. T., repeatedly does so. 
It is not an evil motive ; it is evil only when made 
the master motive. It is not unchristian to seek 
honor among men ; but it is Christian to obtain it 
by deserving and receiving, not by demanding it. 
(3.) The superficial lesson of the parable is not to 
be forgotten ; in our earthly relations in so- 
cial, business, and political life, as well as in 
Christian work, we are to be content, as was our 
Master, with the lowest place, and obtain exalta- 
tion, as did he, through humiliation (E P h. 2 : 5, 9). 
(4.) The spiritual lesson is not inconsistent with 
the social ; but simply carries it out in a larger 
and higher sphere. He that is willing to take the 
lowest place in work for God, is the one whom 
God most delights to honor. Of this truth, Paul 
affords a notable example (1 Cor. 4: 12, 13; Phil. 

1:12, 13). 

11. Whosoever exalteth himself, etc. 
This is the enunciation of a general law of abso- 



86 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XIV. 



nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor tky rich b 
neighbours ; lest they also bid thee again, and a recom- 
pence be made thee. 



13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, c the 
maimed, the lame, the blind : 

14 And thou shalt be blessed ; for they cannot rec- 



b Prov. 22 : 16 c Neh. 8 : 10, 12. 



lutely universal application ; but the final abase- 
ment or exaltation may not come until the future 
We. In addition to marg. rel, see Isaiah 
5 : 12-15, etc. 

12. When thou makest a dinner or a 
nupper. The people of the East take ordinarily 
iwo regular meals a day ; the first, a hearty 
breakfast ; the second, a late dinner, usually al- 
luded to in the O. T. under the name of supper. 
The lunch in the middle of the day, is generally 
an informal meal, and by working people is 



taken in the fields. The late dinner, here desig- 
nated supper, is the principal meal of the day, 
and that to which guests are usually invited. — 
Call not thy friends* * * * nor thy rich 
neighbors. Social entertainments in the East 
are often occasions, as with us, of great display. 
Each course consists of a single dish ; sometimes 
as many as forty or fifty courses are given. The 
drawing-room is ordinarily one that opens di- 
rectly upon the court-yard. The flowers and 
fountain in the yard, where there is often music, 




ORIENTAL DINING ROOM. 



and sometimes dancing, add to the attractions of 
the scene. In the richer mansions, the room itself 
is often elaborately decorated. The practice of 
reclining at meals is no longer in vogue. The ac- 
companying picture represents a modern Eastern 
dinner-party. The intimation here certainly is, 
that this sabbath entertainment was one at which 
there were many distinguished guests. We are 
not to consider Christ's language here as an ab- 
solute prohibition of the interchange of hospital- 
ities and courtesies ; but, (1) there is nothing 
characteristically Christian in such hospitality; 
there is no special merit in a feast from which 
the host expects any personal return to himself 
in enjoyment, social consideration, or the like ; 
(2) to give these only is characteristically un- 
christian ; for (3) the disciple of Christ is to use 



his social advantages, not for mere personal en- 
joyment or benefit, but to elevate and to bless 
those beneath him. 

13, 14. Thou shalt be recompensed at 
the resurrection of the just. For interpreta- 
tion of this declaration, see Matt. 25 : 31-40; 
Luke 16 : 9. 

Ch. 14 : 15-24. PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER. A 
sermon to the procrastinating.— many excuses ; 
one cause— Three great hindrances to religion : 
property, business, domestic ties.— how to till 
empty churches. — the christian ministry is a mis- 
sionary ministry.— he that rejects christ is re- 
JECTED by Christ. 

This parable is not to be confounded with the 
somewhat analogous one in Matt. 22 : 1-14. Both 



Ch. XIV.] 



LUKE. 



87 



ompense thee : for thou shalt be recompensed at the 
resurrection of the just. 

15 And when one of them that sat at meat with him 
heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed d is he 
tiiat shall eat bread in the kingdom of God. 

16 Then said he unto him, A e certain man made a 
great supper/ and bade many : 

17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them 
that were bidden, Come ; for all s things are now ready. 

18 And they all with one consent began to make ex- 
cuse. The first h said unto him, I have bought a piece 
of ground, and I must needs go and see it : 1 pray thee 
have me excused. 

19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of 



oxen, and I go to prove them : I pray thee have me 
excused. 

20 And another said, I have married ' a wife, and 
therefore I cannot come. 

21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these 
things. Then the master of the house, being angry ,J 
said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets k 
and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, 1 and 
the maimed, and the halt, m and the blind. 

. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast 
commanded, and yet n there is room. 

23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into 
the highways and hedges, and compel ° them to come 
in, that my house may De hlled. 



d Rev. 19 : 9. 
j Ps. 2: 12. 



Matt. 22 
Rev. 22 : 



2, etc f Isa. 25 : 

17.... 1 ISam. 2 : 8 



. .g Prov. 9 : 2, 5 ; Ca. 5 : 1 ; Isa. 55 
113 : 7, 8. . . .m Ps. 38 : 7 ; Isa. 33 : 23 



.h ch. 8 : 14 i verse 26 ; 1 Cor. 7 : 33 

....nPs. 103: 6; 130: 7....0 Ps. 110: 3. 



are alike in representing the kingdom of heaven 
by a feast, to which many are invited, and from 
which many turn away ; but there the parallelism 
ends. In Matthew, the feast is given by a king ; 
the invitations are scornfully rejected ; the act is 
one of rebellion, and is consummated by the mur- 
der of the servants ; . it is punished by the death 
of tbe rebels : the good and bad are gathered 
into the feast ; and finally one of the guests is 
cast out because, though he had accepted the in- 
vitation, he had not provided himself with or ac- 
cepted the king' s provision of a wedding garment. 
Here the feast is given by a private citizen ; the 
invitations are declined with some show of re- 
spect ; the declination is an indication of indif- 
ference rather than of open antagonism ; the 
punishment is the utter exclusion of those first 
invited; there is no intimation that both good 
and bad are brought in ; no incident analogous to 
that of the guest without a wedding garment oc- 
curs, and the foundation is not even laid for it. 

15. Blessed is he that shall eat bread in 
the kingdom of God. The utterance of a de- 
vout Jew, who was anticipating the coming and 
perfection of the kingdom of God, and who 
looked forward to it as a time of blessedness to 
all permitted to see and share in it. Correspond- 
ing to it is the universal feeling of even irreligious 
men, that it will be a blessed thing to be a child 
of God in the future heavenly state. Christ's 
parable is responsive to this sentiment of imagi- 
native piety. He shows that men do not really 
regard it as blessed to be a guest of God, but re- 
ject the invitation when it is given to them. The 
practical lesson of the parable is rather to the 
procrastinating than to the indifferent or the re- 
bellious. 

16, 17. The sending a second invitation to 
guests when the feast was ready was, and still is, 
usual in the East (Esther 5:8; 6 : 14). The invita- 
tion of the O. T. bade the whole Jewish nation to 
God's kingdom ; John the Baptist and Jesus, with 
the message, The kingdom of God is at hand, 
brought the second invitation. " Come, for all 
things are now ready," was the burden of their 
ininistry (GaL 4 : 4). But it is also the Gospel mes- 



sage to-day. On God's part all is ready ; the 
guest has simply to accept the invitation and 
come. 

18-20. And they all with one (mind) be- 
gan to make excuse. The translators supply 
the word consent, but this implies combined ac- 
tion, and that is not indicated by the original. 
The spiritual lesson is that all excuses for neglect 
of religion and rejection of Christ have one com- 
mon cause, a disrelish of spiritual things. — The 
first said unto him, etc. The first pleads 
property, the second business, the third domes- 
tic duties ; the first necessity, the second his 
plans, the third simply his will ; the first is in 
language respectful, the second less so, the third 
is abrupt and almost insulting. Neither of them 
is kept away by anything intrinsically sinful. 
Neither of them proffers a good excuse ; for the 
farm and the oxen could have waited, and the 
wife could have come with her husband; the 
claims of this life and the other are not incon- 
sistent. Comp. 1 Cor. 7 : 29 for the Christian 
spirit respecting property, business, and domes- 
tic ties. 

21-23. The master of the house being 
angry. Such an intimation, dropped inciden- 
tally in the teaching of Christ, is very significant. 
The references elsewhere in the Bible to the 
" wrath of God" are not human misinterpreta- 
tions of the divine character. — Go out quickly 
into the streets and lanes of the city. 
Those in the streets and lanes are interpreted by 
many of the commentators to mean the Jews ; 
those in the highways and hedges, the Gentiles. 
—The poor, the maimed, the halt, and 
the blind. The picture is one impossible for 
us to realize in our land. In the East, rich in 
beggars, opulent in misery, without poor-houses 
or hospitals, or other organized means of caring 
for and lessening misery, and with laws and so- 
cial organism multiplying it, such a throng as is 
here described may be often seen in the city 
streets or squares, and sometimes gathered to- 
gether by the rich and generous to receive in fit- 
ful gifts that charity which in Christendom is 
bestowed in a colder, but more systematic and 



Ch. XIV.] 



LUKE. 



89 



24 For I say onto you, That noneP of those men 
which were bidden shall taste of my supper. 

25 And there went great multitudes with him : and 
he turned, and said unio them, 

26 If any man come to me. and hate 1 not his father, 
and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and 
sisters, yea, and his own life r also, he cannot be my 
disciple. 



27 And whosoever 3 doth not bear his cross, and 
come after me, cannot be my disciple. 

28 For which ot you, intending 1 to build a tower, 
sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether 
he have sufficient to finish it ? 

29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and 
is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock 
turn, 



r, Prov. 1 : 24 ; Matt. 21 : 43 ; Heb. 12 : 25. . . .q Deut. 33 : 9 ; Matt. 10 : 37. . . .r Acts 20 : S 

Mark 6 : 34 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 12. . . .t Prov. 24 : 27. 



Rev. 12: 11.... s ch. 



more helpful way. The accompanying illustra- 
tion, from the pencil of Mr. Rawson, portrays an 
actual, not an ideal scene. The spiritual lesson 
to the Christian is twofold: (1) that it is the 
spiritually poor, maimed, halt, and blind that are 
worthy, since need is worth in love's eyes ; 
(2) that when the Gospel is rejected by the rich 
and prosperous, guests for Christ's kingdom 
may always be found among the poor and unfor- 
tunate. This truth was amply illustrated by the 
ministry of Wesley and Whitefield, and is again 
in our own day by that of Mr. Moody. Directly 
opposed to Christ's method is that of soliciting 
those that refuse, by luxurious churches, fine 
choirs, and proffers of social consideration. The 
Gospel, as Christ preached it, never goes beg- 
ging. — Yet there is room. "Neither nature 
nor grace suffers a vacuum." — (Bengel.) — Com- 
pel them to come in. A curious illustration 
of what a comment should not be is Alford's re- 
mark here : " Is there not here an allusion to in- 
fant baptism ? " Hardly more reasonable is the 
deduction of some Eoman Catholic commenta- 
tors that this justifies religious persecution. 
For (1) there is no power in a single servant of a 
private citizen to drive a crowd of unwilling 
guests from the country ; (2) the reluctance to 
be overcome is that of the poor to enter the rich 
man's dwelling and share his feast, and it is to 
be conquered by persuasion, not violence. The 
compelling is that of love. When pride declines 
the Gospel the Master is angry, and no further 
invitation is sent ; when humility hesitates, love 
compels. 

24. I say unto yon. Ton is in the plural, 
not the singular. This is not, then, the address 
of the lord to his servant, but rather of Christ to 
his audience. So Stier and Alford understand it. 
"Our Lord speaks here with his usual 'For I 
say unto you, ' to the company present ; and half 
continuing the parable, half expounding it, sub- 
stitutes himself for the master of the feast, leav- 
ing it hardly doubtful who ' these men that were 
bidden' are." Whichever way interpreted, the 
passage equally implies the impossibility of fu- 
ture restoration of those who have received and 
refused the Gospel invitation in this life. 

Ch. 14 : 25-35. DISCOURSE TO THE MULTITUDES. 
What it costs tc be a Christian. — The necessttt 



of counting the cost. — Christ's instructions to 
thoughtless enthusiasts. 

There is no reason to suppose that this dis- 
course is connected with the preceding. On the 
contrary, the language of ver. 25, TJiere were 
going with him, implies that it was given during 
one of Christ's journeys, and was addressed to 
the throng which so customarily accompanied 
him. The contrast between the many who flock 
to hear the Gospel, especially in a time of reli- 
gious excitement, as under the ministry of a 
Whitefield or a Moody, and the few who count 
the cost and deliberately follow Christ, is as ap- 
plicable to our day as to the time of Christ. 

25-27. And hate not his father and 
mother, * * * and his own life also. 
Comp. Matt. 10 : 37, 38, notes. In the interpre- 
tation of this enigmatical language, (1) we must 
not take hate father^ etc., as equivalent to love 
father less than Christ ; Christ uses language 
not always literally, but always accurately. (2.) 
The word rendered hate (jiiaifo) is never used in 
the N. T., unless this passage and Matt. 6 : 2-4 be 
regarded as exceptions, to mean merely a dimi- 
nution of love ; it always signifies a positive 
aversion. (3.) To hate is not unchristian ; on the 
contrary, hate is predicated of God, and required 

Of MS Children (isa. 61 : 8; Jer. 44:4; Amos 5 : 21 ; Rom. 

12 : 9; Rev. 2:6). I believe, then, that the meaning 
is this, that in order to follow Christ acceptably, 
or indeed at all, the soul must have such an en- 
thusiasm for him, and for that purity, beauty, 
and truth which he embodies and sets before his 
followers as their possible attainment (Ephes. 5 : 1), 
that whatever and whoever becomes an obstacle 
to this attainment is, in so far, to be abhorred as 
an evil thing, an enmity to the soul and to God, 
and to be abhorred just in the measure in which 
the natural affection makes the obstacle great 
and the temptation severe. So Christ abhorred 
Peter when Peter became a tempter to him ; be- 
cause he loved the disciple, the disciple as a 
tempter was to him as Satan (Matt. 16 : 22, 23). This 
hate of the world and the things that are in the 
world (1 John 2 : io) may be dormant in the Chris- 
tian experience, but it must be there, to spring 
into activity, as protection against temptation, 
whenever even the most sacred earthly rela- 
tions become instruments of temptation. — Bear 
his cross. Take it up ; a willing assump- 



90 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XIV. 



30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not 
able to finish. u 

31 Or what king, going to make war against another 
king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth v whether 
he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh 
against him with twenty thousand ? 

32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he 
sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 



33 So likewise, whosoever lie be of you that forsak- 
eth not all w that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

34 Salt x is good : but if the salt have lost his savour, 
wherewith shall it be seasoned ? 

35 It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dung- 
hill ; but men? cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, 
let him hear. 



u Heb. 6 : 11 



, w Phil. 3 : 7, .8 x Matt. 5 : 13 ; Mark 9 : 50 .... y John 15 : 6. 



tion, not a patient submission, is implied. See 
Matt. 10 : 38, note. 

28-30. To interpret aright this and the suc- 
ceeding parable, it is necessary to bear in mind 
the circumstances under which and the audience 
to which they are addressed. Christ speaks it to 
a crowd who are following him, drawn by curi- 
osity and interest, not unmingled with personal 
enthusiasm. His example is to be pondered 
and followed by all religious teachers in times of 
religious revival, when many are liable to mis- 
take their enthusiastic admiration for Christ and 
his precepts, born of a holiday's enjoyment, for 
a deliberate and well-considered purpose to be 
Christ's, and to follow him in the double work 
of self-building and of warring against the world 
without and against wickedness within one's 
own nature. Building is in the N. T. a common 
metaphor to express the process by which char- 
acter is formed, little by little, until the whole 
soul becomes a temple of God, for the indwelling 
of his Spirit. See Matt. 7 : 24 ; 1 Cor. 8 : 11-16 ; 
8 : 1, where edifieth is equivalent to buildeth; and 
1 Pet. 2:5. In framing the resolution to begin 
a Christian life, it is necessary to consider what 
it will cost, of self-renunciation, to maintain a 
consistent Christian character. The result of 
this counting the cost is always the discovery, I 
have not sufficient to finish; then, comes either 
the abandonment of the plan, before it is fairly 
undertaken, or a going unto Christ, who is our 
only and our complete sufficiency in and for all 

things (2 Cor. 3 : 5). 

31, 32. There are two interpretations of this 
parable. One is that of Alford : " The two kings 
here are, — the man desirous to become a disciple, 
to work out his salvation, and God, with whose 
just and holy law he is naturally at variance; 
these two are going to engage in war ; and the 
question for each man to sit down and ask him- 
self is, i Can I, with my ten thousand, stand the 
charge of him who cometh against me with 
twenty thousand.' " The other interpretation is 
that of Godet : " The Christian is a king, but a 
king engaged in a struggle, and a struggle with 
an enemy materially stronger than himself. 
Therefore, before defying him with a declaration 
of war by the open profession of the Gospel, a 
man must have taken counsel with himself, and 
become assured that he is willing to accept the 
extreme consequences of this position, even to 



the giving up of his life if demanded. " The les- 
son is therefore "a warning, which Jesus gives to 
those who profess discipleship, but who have not 
decided to risk everything, to make their submis- 
sion as early as possible to the world and its 
prince. Better avoid celebrating a Palm-day than 
end after such a demonstration with a Good 
Friday. Rather remain an honorable unknown, 
religiously, than what is sadder in the world, an 
inconsistent Christian." The latter seems to me 
the better interpretation. Christ enforces the 
alternative of Matt. 6 : 24. As Joshua, in Josh. 
24 : 15, and Elijah, in 1 Kings 18 : 21, Christ 
compels a choice. In effect he bids those who 
are not willing to take up their cross in order to 
follow him, to abandon all thought of becoming 
his disciples, and go back to their allegiance to 
the world. Underlying this, as the other para- 
ble, is the deep truth of the soul's need of God ; 
no man can enter upon the life-campaign against 
the world, the flesh, and the devil, without alli- 
ance with and reinforcements from an Almighty 
Saviour. 

33. Forsaketh not all that he hath. Lit- 
erally, Doth not separate himself from all. How 
this is to be done Paul interprets in 1 Cor. 
7 : 29-51. 

34, 35. Comp. Matt. 5 : 13, note ; Mark 
9 : 50, note The Christian is the salt of the 
earth ; the savor is the spirit of self-sacrifice, by 
which Christ's disciples are to purify and save the 
world ; if this spirit of self-sacrifice be wanting, 
they are utterly worthless. 

Ch. 15 : 1-32. THE PARABLES OF THE LOST SHEEP, 
THE LOST COIN, THE LOST SON. The spirit of Christ : 

BY SELF-SACRIFICE HE SEEKS THE LOST; ACCOUNTS 
THEM HIS OWN ; PARDONS THEIR PAST SINS ; WELCOMES 
THEIR RETURN; CONFERS ON THEM FREE GIFTS OF 
GRACE, HONOR, AUTHORITY, FREEDOM, ABUNDANT 
SPIRITUAL FOOD.— THE SPIRIT OF THE CHRISTIAN r HE 
SHOULD SEEK, SEARCH FOR, LOVE, WELCOME THE 
WANDERER.—THE SPIRIT OF THE PHARISEE : PROUD, 
PASSIONATE, JEALOUS, LEGAL.— THE EXPERIENCE OF 
SIN : ESTRANGEMENT FROM GOD ; WASTEFUL LIVING ; 
SPIRITUAL WANT ; SPURIOUS REFORM.— THE EXPERI- 
ENCE OF REPENTANCE : THOUGHTFULNESS, CONSCIOUS- 
NESS OF SIN, SORROW FOR IT, ABANDONMENT OF IT, RE- 
TURN to God.— The experience of redemption : Di- 
vine COMPASSION, WELCOME, PARDON, RESTORATION. — 

The sorrowfulness of sin ; the joyfulness of re- 
ligion. 
Preliminary Note.— These three parables, 



Ch. XV.] 



LUKE. 



91 



CHAPTER XV. 

THEN drew 2 near unto him all the publicans and 
sinners tor to hear him. 



2 And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, 
This man receiveth sinners, and eateth a with them. 

3 And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 

4 What man b ol you, having an hundred sheep, if 



z Matt. 9 : 10, etc a Acts 11 : 3 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 9-11 ; Gal. 2:12 b Matt. 18 : 12. 



like the seven of the thirteenth chapter of Mat- 
thew, form one discourse ; they were delivered at 
one time and with one object. The time arid 
place are wholly uncertain ; but their position in 
the evangelical narrative indicates that they be- 
long to the Perean ministry ; they are peculiar 
to Luke, and Luke alone gives any extended ac- 
count of that ministry. The direct object, indi- 
cated by the introductory verses (1, 2), and by 
the culmination of the three parables in the 
father's declaration to the elder son (ver. 32), is to 
point out the spirit which the saved should man- 
ifest toward the lost, a spirit seeking to reclaim 
them, and toward the repentant, a spirit ready 
to welcome them. To accomplish this object, 
Christ portrays the spirit in which divine love 
seeks the lost and receives the repentant. This, 
which may be called incidental, has so far ab- 
sorbed the attention of the church, that it has 
too generally forgotten the direct and immediate 
lesson of the chapter. This forgetfulness is indi- 
cated by the fact, that in the innumerable ser- 
mons on the parable of the Prodigal Son, the 
elder brother is either lost sight of altogether or 
treated as an incidental figure, and his sullenness 
an episode, employed to set off in more striking 
contrast the love of the father. Of these three 
parables, looked at as a representation of re- 
deeming love, the first two may be called Calvin- 
istic, the third Arminian ; the first two represent 
regeneration, the third conversion ; the first two 
God seeking the sinner, the third the sinner seek- 
ing God. The three must be taken together in 
order to understand the change wrought in the 
human soul in redemption. The prodigal son 
never, in fact, returns to his father's house un- 
less the father comes after him ; the lost sheep 
and the lost coin are never recovered without 
voluntarily returning to the shepherd and owner. 
Looked at as a representative of human duty, the 
first two parables represent the duty of the 
church to seek and to save the lost,the third the 
duty to welcome the repentant to a full, free, 
and unreproachful pardon. All represent the 
joyfulness of religion, both as an earthly experi- 
ence and in the heavenly state. Continuing the 
comparison we may note the progression and 
climax in the series ; in the first, the shepherd of 
a hundred sheep misses the one out of the hun- 
dred ; in the second, the woman, owning but ten 
pieces of money, loses a tenth of her property, 
and searches for it with greater concern ; in the 
third, the father of two sons loses one, who be- 
comes to him by sin and separation as dead, and 



in whose death is the keenest conceivable loss the 
heart can suffer. " Thus we find ourselves mov- 
ing in ever narrower, and so intenser, circles of 
hope, and fear, and love, drawing, in each suc- 
cessive parable, nearer to the innermost centre 
and heart of the truth." — {Trench.) We may 
also perhaps with Trench see a climax in sin as 
well as in grace — in the first, sin is represented 
by a silly, wandering sheep, error rather than 
willfulness ; in the second, by a piece of money, 
utterly lost to its owner, and useless in itself, be- 
cause castaway ; in the third, by a son, knowing 
the love of a father and the sweetness of his 
home, and yet despising and forsaking both. 
Thus we may perhaps say that the first represents 
erring, the second vice, the third crime ; the 
first sins of ignorance, the second of self-abase- 
ment, the third of willful disobedience and re- 
bellion ; and, finally, the first two, sins of original 
estrangement and separation from God, the third 
of backsliding. But these contrasts must not be 
pressed too closely. We must not forget that all 
sin is folly, vice, and crime, a blunder, a self- 
abasement, and a rebellion ; and that all sin is a 
backsliding, the original state of nature being 
also a state of grace, and depravity being in very 
truth, not natural, but unnatural, depravity. 

1,2. And there were drawing near to 
him all the publicans and sinners for to 
hear him. The original implies, not that at this 
particular moment they drew near, but that at 
this period in Christ's ministry they were draw- 
ing near. The verb is in the imperfect tense, and 
implies habitual action. Christ was, in the best 
sense of the term, an attractive preacher. He 
drew. For other illustrations of his drawing 
power, see Mark 1 : 33-36 ; 2 : 1, 2 ; 3 : 8, 9. Nor 
can it be said that the people were merely at- 
tracted by curiosity to see him and his miracles ; 
for the language is explicit, that they drew near 
"to hear him.' " This was the beginning of that 
power to draw all men unto him, which ever 
since his death he has increasingly manifested as 
the years have rolled on. The publicans are the 
tax-gatherers of Palestine, a necessarily corrupt 
and a universally detested class. For some ac- 
count of their character and occupation, see 
Matt. 9 : 10, 11, note. The sinners are persons no- 
toriously criminal and outcast in consequence, not 
merely such as disregarded the ceremonial regu- 
lations of the stricter sect of the Pharisees. That 
this is the meaning is evident from the use of 
the term (uuagtwloc) elsewhere in the Gospels. 
See, for example, Matt. 11 : 19 ; Luke 7 : 37 ; 



93 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XV. 



he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine 
in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until 
he find it ? 



5 And when he hath found zV, he layeth it on his 
shoulders, rejoicing. 

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his 



18 : 13, etc. — And the Pharisees and 

Scribes. The Pharisees were the orthodox 
Jews ; see Matt. 3 : 7, note, for account of their 
history and character ; the Scribes were pri- 
marily writers of any kind, then copyists of the 
Scripture, then writers of glosses and commen- 
taries thereon. See Matt. 5 : 20, note. — This 
man receiveth sinners and eateth with 
them. The substance of their charge was not 
that he taught sinners, but that he ate with them, 
that is, mingled with them on terms of social 
equality. The modern Christian, who mingles 
socially and freely with modern sinners, is always 
liable to the same criticism from modern Phari- 
sees. The pride of propriety never understands 
the liberty of love. Observe how in this sentence, 
as in a similar accusation at another time, the 
Pharisees unconsciously told a sublime truth. It 
is the glory of Christ that he " receiveth sinners 
and eateth with them." Rev. 3 : 20. 

3-6. And he spake this parable. In 
reading and interpreting it bear in mind its 
double application. (1.) It is a parable of re- 
deeming love. As such, it is borrowed from and 
to be interpreted by the O. T. (Ezek. 34 : 12, 13 ; isaiat 
40 : 17 ; Psalm 23). Christ comes to seek and to 
save that which was lost (Matt. 18 : n) perseveres 
until he finds it, patiently bears it back himself 
through the weary way to the fold again, re- 
joices in the labor and weariness, because recom- 
pensed by his own love, and seeks to have the 
church on earth and in heaven rejoice with him. 
(2.) It parabolically illustrates what the spirit of 
Christ's church should be ; it should go out 
after the lost (Matt. 28 : 19), should persevere 
despite failure and rebuff (Gai. 4 : 16-20), should 
bear patiently with the weakness and failures 
of the recovered, bearing them and forbear- 
ing with them (Gal. 6 .- 2), and should do this 
work of redeeming love with joy, transfiguring 
all sorrow and making jubilant all fatigue. — 
Which man of you. The parable is an argu- 
mentum ad hominem, as in Matt. 12 : 11, 12. If 
men will take such pains for a lost sheep, how 
much more should the disciples of Christ for a 
lost soul. — If he lose one of them. A natu- 
ral and apt type of the sinner is a lost sheep, 
without wisdom to return to the protection of 
the shepherd, and without any means of protec- 
tion in himself from the dangers of the wilder- 
ness.— Doth not leave the ninety and nine 
in the wilderness. The term wilderness signi- 
fies not necessarily a desert place, but simply 
wildness, i. e., an uninhabited place, and there- 
fore presumptively good pasture land. The same 
word (eotj/toc) is applied by Matthew (Matt. 14 : 15) 



to a place in which John (John 6 : 10) tells us there 
was much grass. No conclusion as to the relative 
number of the holy that need no salvation and 
the sinners, can be drawn from the numbers here 
mentioned, for in the next parable the propor- 
tion is one to ten, and in the third one of two. 
The argument of this verse, however, furnishes 
a conclusive answer to what is called .the astro- 
nomical objection to the doctrine of redemption 
— the objection that God would not have chosen 
so insignificant a planet for the manifestation of 
his greatest love. To love, there is nothing 
strange in his leaving the innumerable host who 
have never sinned, and who may dwell in othei 
worlds, to seek on this those that have sinned 
and need his saving grace. The duty of the 
church is clearly indicated. How often, instead 
of obeying the lesson here inculcated, it leaves 
the ninety and nine to stray away, while it cod- 
dles and cares for the one who is left in the fold. 
Its missionary work should be not its incidental 
but its great work. — Go after that which is 
lost. The Good Shepherd goes himself ; he 
does not send another — man, angel, or arch-, 
angel. It is by personal work, not by proxy, we 
are to seek and to save that which is lost. — Un- 
til he find it. A hint of what is the patience 
and perseverance of Christ, and what should be 
the patience and perseverance of the Christian. 
It is one of. the passages from which the Resto- 
rationists claim a hope that all at last will be 
found. It is true that Christ always finds his 
sheep ; but he does not always recover them. The 
possibility of the lost refusing to accept the prof- 
fered succor does not enter into this parable ; the 
fact that it always is proffered, always brought 
to the consciousness of the soul, I believe is im- 
plied here and elsewhere in the N. T. — He lay- 
eth it on his own shoulders. A type of 
Christ's method of dealing with the reclaimed 
sinner after he is reclaimed. All the after-life, 
all the providential care and guidance, the " all 
things that work together for good," are Christ's 
labor of love in bringing the found back to the 
fold. He bears our burdens and our sorrows as 
well as our sins ; we are ourselves his burden, 
carried, not on his shoulders, but in his heart. 
It is a type too of what should be the spirit in 
which the church should deal with those whom 
it has found and is seeking to reclaim ; no blows, 
no reproaches, no driving back, no entrusting, 
even to an underling. The figure is true to Ori- 
ental shepherd life. The accompanying illustra- 
tion, from the pencil of Mr. A. L. Rawson, is 
from nature, and represents a scene often witness- 
ed at the present day in Palestine, where the pas- 



Ch. XV.] 



LUKE. 



93 



friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice 
with me ; for I have found my sheep c vvbich was lost. 

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven 
over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety 
and nine just persons, which need d no repentance. 

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if 



she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep 
the house, and seek diligently till she find it? 

9 And when she hath found rV, she calleth her friends 
and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with 
me ; for I have found the piece which I had lost. 

io Likewise, I say unto you, there e is joy in the pres- 



Ps. 119 : 176; 1 Pet. 2 : 25 



, e Ezek. 18 : 23, 



11 j Acts 11 : 18 ; Philemon 15, 16. 




THE LOST SHEEP SAVED. 

tures are frequently wild, rocky regions, in which 
the sheep are often lost, or caught in some nar- 
row cleft, where the rocks form a trap, from 
which a goat would escape, but where the less 
agile sheep, cumbered with its fleece, is hopeless- 
ly lost unless succored by the shepherd. — Re- 
joicing. See Heb. 12 : 2. In this spirit the 
Christian should carry those that are entrusted 
to his keeping, the pastor his flock, the teacher 
his class, the parent his children.— He calleth 



together his friends and neighbors. The 

great harvesting will be a great rejoicing (p S aim 
126 : 6 ; Rev. 5 : 9-w). So every harvesting in the 
earthly church should be a time of thanksgiving. 
Praise should be as plentiful as prayer. 

7. I say unto you. Christ applies the para- 
ble. There is a significance in this dignified, and 
even majestic, utterance. "I, who know; I 
who, when I tell you of heavenly things, tell you 
of mine own (John 1 : 51), announce to you this." — 
{Trench.) — Over one sinner that repenteth 
more than over ninety and nine just per- 
sons which need no repentance. This 
utterance has given some perplexity, needless, as 
it seems to me, to the commentators. (1.) The 
just persons, which need no repentance, are not 
"the majority which has remained outwardly 
faithful to the law" in contrast with publicans 
and sinners; the just, " Levitically and ecclesiasti- 
cally speaking." — (Godet.) This kind of external 
and legal righteousness is nowhere recognized in 
either the O. T. or the N. T. as a true righteous- 
ness ; on the contrary, the need of repentance is 
urged upon such by the O. T. prophets (isaiah 
1 : 10-17), by John the Baptist (Matt. 3 : 7, s), and by 
Jesus (Matt. 5 : so). Nor are they " the worlds that 
have not fallen" (Alford); for though the lan- 
guage would apply to them, yet they are not 
directly referred to throughout the parable. 
Christ here, as in many other instances, takes 
the Pharisees at their own estimate. Assuming, 
he says in effect, that you are what you think 
yourselves to be, just persons that need no re- 
pentance, there would be more joy in heaven over 
these repentant publicans and sinners than over 
you. The case is analogous to and illustrated by 
that of Luke 7 : 36-47. (2.) Those who are en- 
gaged in Gospel work will have no difficulty in 
understanding Christ's declaration when so in- 
terpreted. The joy of the pastor is greatest in 
the young converts of his ministry ; and among 
these, greatest in those who have been reclaim- 
ed from the lowest depths. This experience of 
joy in saving the lost is the highest joy of which 
the soul is capable, as the redeeming work is 
the highest exercise of love ; and it is a reflection 
of the divine joy, as the Christian's love for 
sinners is a spark caught from Christ's love. 

8-10. Either what woman having ten 
drachmae, etc. As an illustration of what inter- 
pretation should not be, I may refer to a fanciful 
allegorizing borrowed from the old writers, and 



94 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XV. 



ence of the angels of God over one sinner that re- 
penteth. 
ii And he said, A certain man had two sons : 



12 And the younger of them said to his father, Fa- 
ther, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. 
And he divided unto them his living/ 



f Mark 12 : 44. 



transferred to the pages of such sober and 
thoughtful commentators as Trench and Alford. 
According to this method of interpretation the 
money, coined with the image of the king upon 
it, represents man, on whom is impressed the 
image of his Creator ; the woman is the Spirit of 
God in the church ; the house is the church ; the 
candle is the word of God ; the sweeping of the 
house is that cleansing and purifying process, 
always disturbing at the time, by which the 
Spirit seeks for backsliders in the visible exter- 
nal church. This interpretation is sometimes 
varied ; Trench, for example, making the woman 
the church, and her expression, " the piece which 
/ had lost," an acknowledgment of her fault in 
not keeping that which had been entrusted to 
her. All such attempts to literalize the figure 
seem to me to destroy its beauty. An illustra- 
tion of its unnaturalness is afforded by the fact 
that the coin to which Christ refers, " a piece of 
silver," or drachma (dp «/««), did not have any 
royal image upon it, but 
some device as of an owl, a 
tortoise, or the head of Mi- 
nerva. Christ's teaching 
abounds in illustrations. In 
the first parable he employs 
a figure which addresses it- 
self to the minds of the men 
in the audience, Palestine, 
and especially Perea, being 
a pastoral country ; then he uses one which ad- 
dresses itself to the women ; finally, one which 
addresses itself to the universal heart. The les- 
son of the first two parables is the same, except 
that the former brings out more clearly the self- 
sacrifice of the Saviour, a sacrifice involved in all 
successful labor for the salvation of souls ; this 
one brings out more clearly, by the lighting of 
the candle and the sweeping, the thoroughness 
of the search made by Christ and to be made by 
us. The former again implies the Saviour's pity 
for the wandering and perishing, the latter 
God's personal ownership in the soul and his 
sense of personal loss in its loss, a phase of truth 
which interprets the woman's language, "I have 
found the piece which I had lost." The piece of 
money, or drachma, was worth about eight 
pence, and was equivalent to a day's wages. 

11-32. The Payable of the Prodigal 
Son.— So universally called, though the term 
prodigal son does not appear in the narrative. 
The story is peculiar to Luke. Those who ob- 
ject to all use of fiction must explain as best they 




DRACHMA. 



may this story, for such it is. There is not even 
an application attached to it ; the reader is left 
to make that for himself. As a representation 
of redeeming love, it has been well called the 
Gospel in the Gospel {evangelium in evangelio) • in 
comparison with others, " the crown and pearl 
of all his (Christ's) parables." Merely in an 
artistic view, this is true, every detail being at 
once true to the external life and true to the 
spiritual experience which our Lord would por- 
tray. As a disclosure of divine love, we can 
hardly realize how truly it was a revelation. 
Contrast with it that conception of God which 
prevailed in the nominally Christian church in 
the days of the Inquisition. As a representation 
of human duty, we still do not realize its mean- 
ing. Contrast with it the ordinary feeling in a 
so-called Christian community toward the erring 
and the fallen. It may be regarded as consisting 
of five facts : vers. 11-13, sin ; vers. 14-16, its re- 
sults ; vers. 17-20, repentance ; vers. 20-24, the 
divine forgiveness ; vers. 25-32, the Pharisaic re- 
ception of the repentant. It has been maintained, 
on the one hand, that this parable is inconsistent 
with the doctrine of mediation or atonement, 
since it indicates a free forgiveness, not a pur- 
chased redemption ; on the other, the attempt 
has been made to find some analogy for Christ's 
sacrifice, e. g., in the killing of the fatted calf 
(Melancthon), or the coming out of the father to 
meet his son (Von Gerlach). The parable cer- 
tainly is inconsistent with that view of media- 
tion which represents God as loving and forgiv- 
ing the human race because Christ died for it ; 
but this view is at variance (1) with direct Scrip- 
ture teaching, which declares that God so loved 
the world that he gave his only begotten Son ; 
(2) with the general representations of the divine 
love as inherent, uncaused, unpurchased, and 
unpurchasable ; (3) with the analogies of human 
experience, implied in the fatherhood of God, 
forgiveness, in its highest forms, being always 
and by its very nature free. But this parable is 
not inconsistent with that view of mediation 
which regards the incarnation and atonement as 
a disclosure of the divine love, a proffer of di- 
vine forgiveness, and the method in which God 
comes to seek and to save that which is lost. 
All truth is not illustrated by one teaching ; and 
we must not forget that this parable is only part 
of a discourse ; the divine work in redemption, 
the suffering, and the toil are abundantly illus- 
trated in the going out of the shepherd for the 
lost sheep, and the searching by the woman for 



Ch. XV.] 



LUKE. 



95 



13 And not many days after, the younger son gath- 
ered all together, and took his journey into a far coun- 
try, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. 

14 And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty 
famine g in that land ; and he began to be in want. 



15 And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that 
country ; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 

16 And he would fain have filled his belly with the 
husks h that the swine ' did eat : and no man gave unto 
him. 



g Amos 8 ; 11, 12 .... h Isa. 44 : 20 ; Hosea 12 : 1 . . . . i Ps. 73 : 22. 



the lost coin. In commenting on this parable, I 
do not think it necessary or advantageous to 
refer to fanciful interpretations simply to con- 
demn them, or to homiletical additions to and 
exhortations derived from the parable. I sim- 
ply endeavor to offer such suggestions as may 
aid the English reader in a devout study of the 
sacred text. The commentary is simply to be a 
key to the picture, not a disquisition upon it. 

11, 12. A certain man had two sons. 
The two sons represent, not angels and men, for 
the spirit of the elder is anything but angelic ; 
nor Jews and Gentiles, for the question of the 
admission of Gentiles was not at this period of 
Christ's ministry publicly raised ; that belongs 
to a later era in the history of the church. Pri- 
marily, the elder son represents the Pharisees, 
the younger son the publicans and sinners (vers. 
1, 2) ; secondarily, the elder son the self-righteous 
and proud, the younger son the self -abased and 
penitent. See further on vers. 25-32. — Father, 
give me the portion of goods that falleth 
to me. A demand, not a request. There is no 
evidence that under Jewish law the son had a 
right to make this demand. It was as illegal as 
it was unfilial. It represents the first step in 
sin, the demand of the soul for independence of 
God, the claim to own, in contradistinction to 
the spirit which accepts all things from God as 
steward and trustee. The sinner's demand is, 
Give me my portion of goods ; the Christian's 
prayer is, Give me day by day my daily bread. 
So Adam and Eve treated the fruits of the gar- 
den as their own, to be used by them for them- 
selves, irrespective of the divine commands. — 
And he divided unto them his living. 
Giving the younger son one-half of that which 
fell to the elder (Deut. 21 : 17), the control and use 
of which he reserves to himself during his life- 
time (ver. 31). This division illustrates the per- 
mission of free-will to man. Its spiritual signifi- 
cance is illustrated by Rom. 1 : 21-28, and itself 
illustrates that passage. It is a striking rebuke 
of all attempt at religious compulsion, and is 
even a hint to parents that legal restraints, at- 
tempted in the case of sons that have reached a 
relatively mature age, is not according to God's 
method, "who does not compel the inclinations 
of a depraved heart, which can only be cured by 
experiencing the bitter results of sin." 

13. And not many days after. But not 
immediately. There is a hint of the develop- 
ment of sin. Independence of God comes first ; 



departure from God follows. So Adam, after 
disobedience, desired to hide from God. — And 
took his journey into a far country. "The 
far country is forgetfulness of God." — (Angus- 
tine.) We are always far from God when we are 
living without respect to, or trust in, or obedi- 
ence under him ; though he is never far from us. 
In this respect the imagery of the parable, being 
taken from human experience, is necessarily im- 
perfect. The heavenly Father never loses sight 
of or ceases to care for, watch over, and protect 
his prodigal son. Even the famine and the hun- 
ger are Gospel messengers sent from him. — And 
there wasted his substance with riotous 
living. This ordinary English translation pic- 
torially illustrates his course, which was clearly 
one of dissipation. But the Greek is literally, 
Scattered what he had, living unsavingly, and 
this more literal translation embodies the spir- 
itual truth represented in the picture. For the 
worldly life is always a wasteful life ; he that 
gathers not with Christ scattereth abroad (Matt. 
12 : 30), and he that gathers not for eternity lives 
unsavingly, and dies a pauper (ch. 12 : 16-21). 

14, 15. And when he had spent all, there 
arose a mighty famine in that land. There 
is always a mighty famine in the "far country ; " 
but the soul rarely feels or knows it until all that 
is spent which for the time gave pleasure, though 
never real satisfaction. It is "a famine of truth 
and love, and of all whereby the spirit of man 
indeed lives." — (Trench.) But more than this, 
there is often a famine of the very things that 
gave pleasure ; power is taken away, fame blast- 
ed, friends depart, in old age pleasures of the 
senses fail ; and in this experience of famine the 
soul always begins to feel its own want of a 
something which the far country cannot supply. 
—He himself began to be in want. The ex- 
periences of Solomon in Biblical history and of 
Byron in secular history illustrate what is this 
want in time of famine. Even more strikingly 
is it illustrated by the autobiography of John 
Stuart Mill. This sense of want is itself the 
voice of God calling the prodigal home. Soul- 
weariness is Christ's invitation, "Come unto me, 
all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will 
give you rest." — And he went and joined 
himself to a citizen of that country, and 
he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 
The occupation of the swineherd was the very 
lowest imaginable to Jewish thought. No deep- 
er degradation than this was possible. Never- 



96 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XV. 



17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many 
hired servants of my father's have bread enough and 
to spare, and I perish with hunger ! 

18 !■> will arise and go to my father, and will say 



unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and 
before thee, 

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: 
make me as one of thy hired servants. 



theless, it is not true that he "sinks lower and 
lower " (Alford), though this is the almost uni- 
versal interpretation of this change. On the 
contrary, to fast with swine is better than to 
feast with harlots. The prodigal attempts to 
make a step upward, and fails. In spiritual ex- 
perience, this attempt has its parallel in the en- 
deavor of the sinner to retrieve himself while 
still far from God. He is ashamed to return to 
God just as he is, and desires first to better him- 
self somewhat, to make himself presentable, at 
least to attest the genuineness of his repentance 
by his moral reform ; or more generally he ex- 
pects to remain in the "far country," but as a 
reformed man, sober, industrious, respectable. 




16. And he would fain have filled his 
belly with the husks that the swine did 
eat; and no man gave unto him. These 

husks {xsQutiov) are the fruit of the carob tree; 
called sometimes St. John's bread-tree, from the 
tradition that John the Baptist fed on its fruit ; 
it is common in southern Italy, Spain, northern 



Africa, and the Levant; the fruit resembles a 
bean-pot, though somewhat larger, and curved 
more in the form of a sickle ; they have a hard, 
dark cuticle, and a dull, sweet taste ; and they 
are used both for foddering cattle and for food 
by the very poor. The Greek implies, not that 
the prodigal would have eaten of these husks, 
and no man gave him, but that he did eat them, 
no one giving to him anything better. In the 
phrase, fain have filled his belly, is an indication 
that the food of the "far country," though it 
may fill avoid, can never truly satisfy the hunger 
of the soul ; in the characterization of the husks, 
as the food that the swine did eat, is a suggestion 
that it offers to man only that which at best can 
supply his physical and animal wants, nothing 
for his immortal nature ; in this declaration, 
no man gave unto him, is a hint of "man's inhu- 
manity to man," the famine of sympathy and 
love in the country far from God. 

17. In this and the succeeding verses, every 
element in the experience of a true repentance is 
clearly traced, consciousness of sin, resolution 
of repentance, abandonment of sin, return to 
God, confession to Him without palliation or 
excuse, consecration to his service. Compare 
throughout David's repentance and action 
after his sin in the matter of Bathsheba (psalm 
51). — And when he came to himself. Sin 
is a craze ; depravity is unnatural ; in con- 
version the soul comes to itself as well as to 
its God. Christ looks on the publican and 
sinner with a compassion Illustrated by that 
which we feel for the insane. Comp. Luke 
23 : 34. In the same spirit is Solomon's 
prayer (1 Kings 8 : 47), and Isaiah's exhortation 
(isaiah 46 : 8). — How many hired servants of 
my father. The prodigal, too, is a hired ser- 
vant ; his first thought is to change his service 
from that of the citizen of the far country to that 
of his father. We shall see how this idea changes 
under the influence of the father's love. The 
contrast between the service of the world and 
the service of God is implied. — And I perish 
with hunger. Literally, Am destroying myselj 
(unoUvucu, middle). He really destroys himself 
who remains in want away from the abundance 
of his Father's table. Observe that the very low- 
est possible motive suffices for a starting-point 
in Christian experience. The prodigal is moved 
by hunger in the first instance ; the sense of sin 
and the resolution of repentance and confession 
came subsequently. Any motive that actually 






Ch. XV.] 



LUKE. 



97 



20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when 
he was yet a great way k off, his father saw him, and 
had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and 
kissed him. 



21 And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned 
against heaven, 1 and in thy sight, and am no more 
worthy to be called thy son. 

22 But the father said to his servants, Bring m forth 



ies. 2 : 13, 17 , 



leads the soul to repentance, suffices, no matter 
what it is. 

18,19. I will arise and go to my father. 

As departure from God is the essence of all sin, 
so returning to God is the essence of all repent- 
ance. Without this return repentance is spuri- 
ous and reform transitory. Observe, too, that 
the remedy for all dissipation and riotious living 
is, not a resolution of total abstinence in the far 
country, but an abandonment of it, and a return 
to God. — Father, I have sinned unto hea- 
ven. Not against heaven, a meaning which the 
preposition (sic) will not bear. The true signifi- 
cation of the phrase is interpreted by Shake- 
speare : " My offence is rank ; it smells to hea- 
ven." Comp. Rev. 18 : 5 (where, however, the 
Greek preposition is different, uq/i), and Jer. 
51 : 9. — And before thee. Comp. Psalm 51 : 4. 
"Against thee, thee only have I sinned," albeit 
David had sinned against himself, Bathsheba, 
Uriah, and the laws and order of his own king- 
dom. The sense of sin against God swallows up all 
other and lesser thoughts of sin. — And am no 
more worthy to be called thy son. Not his 
wastefulness or licentiousness, but that he has 
fallen away from his sonship, chiefly oppresses 
him. Whatever in us makes us unworthy to be 
called sons of God, should bring us to him with 
like confession, be the form of that sin what it 
may. — Make me as one of thy hired ser- 
vants. Consecration always accompanies true 
confession. 

20. And he arose and came toward his 
father. Toward, not to (ttqoc). He did not come 
to his father, his father came out to him. This 
actual setting out on the homeward journey is 
the turning-point in the prodigal's life. The sin- 
ner may have conviction of sin and resolution of 
reform in the future, and remain unsaved in 
the far country ; it is actually arising and going 
that saves. To this God makes the promise of 
Isaiah 55 : 7. Whatever sense of sin suffices to 
lead to this return is sufficient ; no need to wait 
for deeper convictions ; whatever trust in God 
suffices to inspire to this is sufficient ; no need to 
wait for greater faith. Note two suggestive facts 
in the prodigal's experience : (1) the joy and 
peace, the father's kiss, ring, robe, etc., are not 
instantly conferred ; there is a way to be traveled 
first ; often in actual experience it is a long and 
weary one ; (2) though the prodigal brings noth- 
ing good with him, neither does he bring any- 
thing evil. He forsakes all in turning his back on 



the far country. " In the act of fleeing to his 
father, the prodigal leaves his associates, and his 
habits, and his tastes behind." — (Aruot.) But 
when he was yet a great way off. Rather, 
While he yet held himself a great way off, as though 
his courage failed when he drew near, and he 
dared not venture into the house and the pres- 
ence of the father against whom he had so 
sinned. This interpretation the original will bear, 
though it does not require it ; and this interpre- 
tation answers to that mistaken feeling of fear 
which is the last obstacle between a repentant 
soul and the heavenly Father. — His father saw 
him. An intimation that he hoped and was 
looking for the prodigal's return (james 4 : s). — 
And had compassion. Literally, his bowels, 
or, as we should say, his heart was moved. That 
strange thrill is indicated, which love sends 
through the whole frame when powerfully ex- 
cited ; a suggestive revelation of the warmth and 
the personality of the divine love. — And ran 
and fell on his neck and kissed him* 
Comp. Gen. 46 : 29. Observe the father's kiss 
precedes the son's confession. Comp. Ezek. 
36 : 31 ; Ephes. 2 : 4 ; 1 John 4 : 10. While in 
this parable the story of repentance and return is 
predominant, yet even here we have, in the go- 
ing forth of the father, and the kiss preceding 
confession, an intimation of that germinating and 
inspiring love of God which awakens love and re- 
pentance, and leads to confession and return in 
human experience, a truth more clearly brought 
out in the preceding parables. We are not to 
conclude that because the son arose and went to 
his father, that the soul goes to God before the 
divine influence touches and draws it. See John 
6 :44. 

21. And the son said unto him. Father 
* * * I am no more worthy to be called 
thy son. But he did not add, Make me as one 
of thy hired servants (ver. 19). Why ? Because 
sonship is more than service ; and he that came 
expecting to be a servant, in the kiss and em- 
brace received the spirit of adoption, whereby he 
cried Abba Father. See Rom. 8 : 14, 15 ; Gal. 
4:6, 7 ; John 15 : 15. The father's love pre- 
vented the request for a servant's place. To re- 
turn to God requires faith ; to receive God re- 
quires greater faith. There are many in the 
church who come with the prayer, Make me as 
one of thy hired servants, and never realize that 
God's answer is, This, my son, was dead, and is 
alive again, was lost, and is found. Arnot, fol- 



98 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XV. 



the best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on his 
hand, and shoes on his feet : 

23 And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it ; and 
let us eat, and be merry : 



24 For n this my son was dead, and is alive p again ; 
he was ^ lost, and is found. And they began to be 
merry. 

25 Now his elder son was in the field : and as he 



n verse 32 .... o Ephes. 2 ; 1 ; 5 : 14 ; Rev. 3 : 1 .... p Rom. 6 : 11, 13 . . . . q ch. 19 : 10 ; Ezek. 34 : 4, 16. 



lowing and amplifying the suggestion of Bengel, 
well represents both the pictorial scene and its 
spiritual significance • " The son, lying on the 
father's bosom, with the father's tears falling 
warm on the upturned face, is some degrees fur- 
ther advanced in the spirit of adoption, than when 
he first planned repentance beside the swine in 
his master's field. Then and there the legal spirit 
of fear, because of guilt, still lingered in his heart ; 
he ventured to hope for exemption from punish- 
ment, but not for restoration to the place of a 
beloved son. Now the spirit of bondage has been 
conclusively cast out by the experience of his 
father's love ; the fragments of stone that had 
hitherto remained, even in a broken heart, are 
utterly melted at last, as if by fire from heaven. 
He could not now complete the speech which he 
had prepared ; its later words faltered and fell 
inarticulate. He could not now ask for the place 
of a servant, for he was already in the place of a 
son." 

22, 23. But the father said * * * and 
let us eat and be merry. The divine forgive- 
ness is not merely release from punishment. It 
receives back the lost son to home and love, and 
gives to him the place and the gifts which he had 
thrown away. " When he ascended up on high 
he * * * gave gifts unto men " (Ephes. 4 : s). And 
each gift in the list in the parable is at least 
suggestive spiritually. Without indulging in fan- 
ciful interpretations we may properly note the 
spiritual parallel and meaning in each. The best 
robe is not, as some commentators render it, the 
former robe, for this is not the most natural ren- 
dering of the original, and redemption does not 
merely reclothe us in our cast-off garments, but 
in a new attire. The robe or stole (at oh)) was a 
long, flowing garment, worn as a mark of special 
honor (Mark 12 : 38 ; Luke 20 : 46), and was conferred 
by rich hosts on specially favored guests (Gen. 
4i : 42) ; for its spiritual significance, see Isaiah 
61 : 10 ; Zech. 3 : 3, 4 ; Matt. 22 : 11, note ; Col. 
3 : 12 ; Rev. 6 : 11 ; 7 : 9, 13, 14. The ring, hav- 
ing on it a seal, was a symbol of authority con- 
ferred by a king on a subordinate (Gen. 4i : 42 ; 
Esther 3 : io, ii ; 8:2, 8). It represents in Scripture 
emblems, less the betrothal of the soul to 
Christ (Hosea 2 : 19, 20), than the dignity and power 
conferred upon the sons of God, whom he makes 
kings, giving them authority in the kingdom of 
God on earth (Matt. 16 : 19, note), and preparing them 
to reign with him hereafter (Matt. 19 : 28 ; Rev. 1 : 6 ; 
5 : 10). The shoes were a symbol of freedom ; they 
were taken off, as the hat with us, in the pres- 



ence of a superior, and the slave went barefoot. 
The son is free from the bondage of the law (Rom. 
7 : 4, 6, etc.), being no more a slave but a son, heir 
of God and joint heir with Christ (Rom. 8 : 17 ; comp. 
Ephes. 6 ; 15 ; Sol. Song 7 : l). In the East, where life is 
much more simple than with us, it is not un- 
usual to kill the calf as a preparation for a meal 
after the guest has arrived (Gen. is : 6-8). Killing 
the fatted calf here is simply -a symbol of the 
welcome accorded to the returning prodigal, and 
of the provision made for his wants in his father's 
home. There is no justification for the idea that it 
symbolizes the sacrifice of Christ, a notion which 
deserves mention only that it may be condemned. 
See vers. 27-30, note. The features in this scene 
are the more suggestive by the contrast ; the 
sympathy of the father with the indifference of 
the citizen of the far country, the best robe with 
the rags of the prodigal (isaiah 64 : 6), the ring and 
the shoes with his former servile condition, the 
fatted calf with the husks that the swine did eat. 

24. For this my son Avas dead, and is 
alive again. How dead, and how made alive • 
again, is spiritually interpreted by Ephes 2 : 1-6, 
which is indeed a wonderful comment and inter- 
pretation on this whole parable. — And they be- 
gan to be merry. Christ often represents re- 
ligion by the metaphor of a feast ; never by that 
of a funeral. His portrayal of it is in strong 
contrast with the asceticism of all heathen re- 
ligion, often borrowed by and engrafted on the 
Christian church. The rejoicing of the father 
and his household, illustrates the spirit with 
which the church should welcome returning 
prodigals. 

25, 26. Now his elder son was in the 
field. This elder son represents primarily the 
Pharisees, secondarily all who are possessed of 
the Pharisaic spirit of pride and self-satisfaction 
in their own righteousness. It is no answer to 
this self-evident view to say, that it is not true of 
such that they have never transgressed the hea- 
venly Father's commandment (ver. 29). This was 
and is their estimate of themselves (phn. 3 : 5, e), 
and Christ in this parable takes them at their 
own estimate. Assuming, he says in effect, that 
you are all that you claim to be, see what is your 
demeanor toward these repentant and returning 
publicans and sinners ; and what it ought to be. 
The elder brother thus answers to the nine 
pieces of money and the ninety -nine sheep, in the 
preceding parable. In fact, the elder brother 
now becomes a lost son, a wanderer, dead, by 
his mental and moral estrangement from his 



Ch. XV.] 



LUKE. 



99 



came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and 
dancing.' 

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked 
what these things meant. 

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come ; and 
thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath 
received him safe and sound. 

28 And he was angry, 8 and would not go in : there- 
fore came his father out, and entreated him. 

29 And he, answering, said to his father, Lo, these 
many years do I l serve thee, neither transgressed u I 



at any time thy commandment ; and yet thou never 
gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my 
friends : 

30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath 
devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for 
him the fatted calf. 

31 And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever v with 
me, and all that I have is thine. 

32 It was meet™ that we should make merry, and be 
glad : x for y this thy brother was dead, and is alive 
again ; and was lost, and is found. 



1,2.... s Jonah 4: 1-3; Rom. 10: 19... t ch. 18 : 11 ; Isa. 65 : 5. . . .u Phil, i 
4 : 10, 11. . . .x Ps. 51 : 8 ; Isa. 35 : 10. . . .y verse 24. 



11 : 1 w Jonah 



father. See this fact illustrated below.— He 
heard music and dancing. "This is one of 
those by-glances into the lesser occupations and 
recreations of human life, by which the Lord so 
often stamps his tacit approval on the joys and 
unbendings of men. Would these festal employ- 
ments have been here mentioned by Him on so 
blessed and solemn an occasion, if they were 
really among those works of the devil which He 
came into the world to destroy ? "—(Alford.) 
Comp. Matt. 11 : 16-19, notes.— What these 
things meant. Not only to the world, but 
also to many in the church, the joy of salvation 
is inexplicable. 

27-30. Because he hath received him 
safe and sound, i. e., in health ; to the ser- 
vant, the physical restoration of the prodigal 
is prominent ; in the Christian experience the 
sinner becomes spiritually safe and sound by 
his return. The Father is also the Great Physi- 
cian. Observe that the killing of the fatted calf 
is because of the prodigal's return. This alone 
should have sufficed to prevent the idea that it 
represents Christ's atonement. The death of 
Christ is the ground of the sinner's pardon, not 
the result of it. — And he was angry. So the 
Pharisees were angry with Christ for receiving 

publicans and Sinners (ver 2 ; ch. 19 : 7 : Matt. 9 : 11), 

and the Jews were angry because Gentiles were 
received (ch. 4 : 28; Acts 23 : 21). — Therefore his 
father came out and entreated him. It 
was a part of the ministry of Christ to break 
down the middle wall of partition between Phar- 
isee and publican, Jew and Gentile, the high and 
the low, not only by rescuing the latter from 
their degradation, but also by saving the former 
from their pride. — Neither transgressed I at 
any time thy commandment. The spirit of 
Pharisaism, embodied in an utterance copied, 
almost verbatim, from the utterance of at least 
one Pharisee (ch. is : 21).— With my friends. 
The me and my, show that this son is as really 
separated from his father, though being under 
his roof and obedient to his commands, as the 
other son, who had wandered away from it. 
Contrast the further language in ver. 31. — Hath 
devoured thy living with harlots. — Very 
probably true ; nevertheless it is only the sur- 



mise of jealous suspicion. The Pharisee always 
aggravates every one's sins but his own. His 
spirit illustrates, by contrast, the charity that 
thinketh no evil. 

31, 32. With a soft answer the father seeks 
to turn away wrath. — Thou art ever with me. 
The elder son by his language has made himself 
as one of the hired servants, These many years do 
I serve thee, and he querulously asks for his re- 
ward. The father gently reminds him that he 
is a son, and that to be with him and to be his 
heir, is his reward. — All that I have is thine. 
For the younger son had spent his portion ; what 
remained belonged to the elder at the father's 
death. If we are sons of God, all that he has is 
also ours (1 Cor. 3 : 21-23). — It was meet that 
we should make merry and be glad. A 
reassertion of the spirit of thanksgiving and joy- 
fulness with which the church should ever greet 
the repentance and return of the sinner. The full 
lesson of the contrast between the elder brother 
and the father, is lost if we fail to observe this 
radical difference ; the elder brother is oblivious 
of the present, and thinks only of the past of the 
sinner ; " thy son * * which hath devoured thy 
living with harlots ; " the father forgets the past 

(Isaiah 44 : 22 ; Jer. 31 : 34), and thinks Only of the 

present, or rather recalls the first only to en- 
hance the joy of the present. "Thy brother was 
dead, and is alive again ; was lost, and is found." 
Nothing is said as to whether the elder brother 
suffered himself to be entreated or not. Our 
Lord leaves each Pharisee to answer to his own 
conscience the question, whether he will be en- 
treated or no. 

Ch. 16 : 1-18. THE PARABLE OP THE UNJUST 
STEWARD, AND INSTRUCTIONS CONNECTED THERE- 
WITH. COVETOUSNESS IS FOLLY (ch. 12 : 20) ; LIBER- 
ALITY IS SHREWDNESS. 

This parable, and the one which follows, on the 
rich man and Lazarus (vers. 19-31), are peculiar to 
Luke. They belong to the Perean ministry of 
our Lord, and are closely connected, both logi- 
cally and grammatically, with the parables of the 
preceding chapter. The opening phrase, "And 
he said also," indicates that the teachings of this 
chapter followed immediately upon those of the 



100 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XVI. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

AND he said also unto his disciples, There was a 
certain rich man, which had a steward ;.and the 
same was accused unto him that he had wasted his 
goods. 

2 And he called him, and said unto him, How is it 
that 1 hear this of thee ? give an account of thy stew- 
ardship ; z for thou mayest be no longer steward. 



3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I 
do ? for my lord taketh away from me the steward- 
ship : I cannot dig ; to beg I am ashamed. 

4 I am resolved what to do, that, when I am put out 
of the stewardship, they may receive me into their 
houses. 

5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto 
him, and said unto the first, How much owest thou 
unto my lord ? 



z ch. 12 : 42 ; 1 Cor. 4 : 2 ; 1 Tim. 4 : 14 ; 1 Pet. 4 : 10. 



chapter preceding. The parables of the lost 
sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son, are a re- 
buke of the pride of the Pharisees ; the parables 
of this chapter are a rebuke of their covetous- 
ness (see ver. k). This f act affords the key-note to 
what has been regarded the most difficult of our 
Lord's parables. The difficulties are real ; but 
they seem to me to have been greatly exagger- 
ated by the older commentators. The variety of 
interpretations which have been suggested will 
be sufficiently indicated to the reader by the fact 
that the steward has been variously taken to 
represent the publicans, the Pharisees, Judas 
Iscariot, and Pontius Pilate ; and the lord of the 
steward to represent God, Mammon, the Eo- 
mans, and the devil. Julian the apostate charged 
that in this parable Christ commended dishon- 
esty ; and, on the other hand, an ingenious Ger- 
man writer, Schultz, quoted in Trench, has un- 
dertaken to show, that there was nothing dishon- 
est in the course of the steward. Without en- 
tering into any of these disputes, I give first, 
briefly, what seems to me the true explanation of 
particular points in the parable, and then, in a 
note at the close, a statement of its significance 
as a whole. The best modern commentators are 
generally substantially agreed in its interpreta- 
tion—Trench, Alford, Arnot, Godet, etc. 

1, 2. Unto his disciples. Not merely to 
the twelve ; not especially to the publicans ; not 
at all to the Pharisees, though in their hearing 
(ver. 14) ; but to such as were willing to be learners 
of him. The parable is a warning against Phari- 
saism, but it is addressed to his own pupils, to 
the children of light, not to those of this world 
(ver. 8). — There Avas a certain rich man, 
who had a steward. Other parallel teachings 
of Scripture, especially of Christ (see below, and Hag. 
2:8; Psalm 50 : 10-12), represent God as master, man 
as steward, and property as something intrusted 
to his stewardship; and these should have 
guarded against the artificial interpretations to 
which 1 have referred above. The steward is a 
bailiff, intrusted with the entire management of 
the master's estate. Such stewardships, rela- 
tively unknown in this country, are common in 
Ireland, Italy, the East, and wherever property 
is owned in large estates, and the owners are not 
men of business, or are habitually or frequently 
absent from their estates. Such a steward or 



bailiff is necessarily intrusted with almost abso- 
lute power over his owner's property. For Scrip- 
tural illustrations of such stewardship, see the 
cases of Elijah and Joseph (Gen. 24 : 2-12 ; 39 : 4). — 
And the same was accused unto him, that 
he was wasting his goods. Not had wasted. 
The imperfect tense is used in the original, and 
it indicates a habit of wasting, still carried on. 
Here is the same sin as that of the prodigal, and 
represented by the same Greek word (ch. 15 : 13). 
All sin is a wasting of that which belongs to 
God ; and it is always accompanied by a forget- 
fulness of God, so that his coming and his demand 
for an accounting is a surprise. Comp. Matt. 
24 : 48-51. — Give an account of thy stew- 
ardship : for thou mayest be steward no 
longer. There is no trial, but sentence of con- 
demnation. We are condemned already, and the 
day of judgment is a day, not of trial, but of dis- 
closure and of reckoning. Death is thus God's 
call to us for an accounting of all things with 
which he has intrusted us. "The great truth 
lies in the background, that that dismissal, 
death itself, is the consequence of this wast- 
ing of his goods — the wages of sin is death." 
—{Alford.) 

3, 4. What shall I do ? * * * I can- 
not dig ; to beg J am ashamed. A graphic 
picture of the perplexity and dismay of the man 
of the world when summoned by death to give 
an account of his stewardship. He has laid up 
for himself no treasure above ; he is conscious 
that he has developed no powers for service in 
the eternal kingdom ; he is ashamed to cast him- 
self as a beggar, even before his God, and enter 
the kingdom simply as a suppliant. — I am re- 
solved what to do. Reflection brings him, as 
it brought the prodigal, to himself. The conclu- 
sion here is the result of cogitation. "All at 
once, after long reflection, he exclaims, as if 
striking his forehead : I have it."— {Godet.) The 
conclusion is the one to which many a rich man 
is brought who, by the benefactions of his will 
endeavors to compensate for the niggardliness of 
his life.— That they (i. e., his lord's debtors) 
may receive me. 

5-7. So he called every one of his lord's 
debtors. These would be either merchants or 
other purchasers, who had received their stores 
and not yet paid for them (Alford\ or tenants, 



Oh. XVI.] 



LUKE. 



101 



6 And he said. An hundred measures of oil. And he 
said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down quickly, and 
write fifty. 

7 Then said he to another, And how much owest 
thou ? And he said. An hundred measures of wheat. 
And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and write four- 
score. 



8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, be- 
cause he had done wisely: for the children of this 
world are in their generation wiser than the a children 
of light. 

9 And I say unto you, Make b to yourselves friends 
of the mammon of unrighteousness ; that, when ye 
fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 



a John 12 : 36 ; Ephes. 5 



Eccles. 11 : 1 : 1 Tim. 



who paid their rent, as it is almost invariably 
paid in the East, and very generally in European 
estates, in produce. The oil is olive oil ; the 
wheat the most common grain of Palestine ; both 
are productions of the soil. The measure of oil 
(ftutoc), contains about sixty pints ; fifty mea- 
sures would be worth several hundreds of dol- 
lars : the measure of wheat (joqog) contains a little 
over eleven bushels ; the twenty measures re- 
mitted would amount to over a hundred dollars 
in value. The steward knows his men, and cal- 
culates the degree of liberality which he must? 
show to each in order to secure their hospitality. 
— Take thy bill. Either the receipt which the 
debtor had given for the goods, or the lease 
which he had signed for the rent. The word ren- 
dered bill is simply writing. Tbis the tenant is him- 
self to alter, perhaps that, having a direct share 
in the fraud, he may be precluded from inform- 
ing of it, subsequently.— Sit down quickly. 
Simply a graphic touch, indicating the haste 
of the whole transaction. — And write fifty. 
The accompanying illustration shows the wri- 
ting materials of the East and the method of 
writing. The ink is India ink, fine lamp-black 
and gum perfumed ; the pen is reed, cut aslant 
at the point ; the writing is usually done by 
public scribes, who hold the paper in the left 
hand in writing. Few, except the members of 
the learned professions, are trained to read and 
write. 

8,9. And the lord commended the un- 
just steward. That is, his lord commended 
him. It is not said by Luke that Christ 
praised the unjust steward, but by Christ, as 
part of the parable, that the master commend- 
ed his servant. Of course it is implied that he 
discovered the trick. — Because he had 
done wisely. Shrewdly. He commended, 
not the morality but the shrewdness of his 
course.— For (what follows is Christ's com- 
ment on the whole transaction, the action of 
the steward and the commendation of his lord) 
the children of this world are toward 
their generation, not in (h\ but unto (sic), 
wiser (shrewder) than the children of 
light. The meaning is, not that the worldly- 
minded men are shrewder than spiritually- 
minded men in their management of earthly 
affairs ; nor merely that they are wiser in deal- 
ing with earthly affairs than spiritually-minded 
men with spiritual affairs ; but that in their 



dealings with one another, men of the world 
get more worldly profit out of the intercourse, 
than spiritually-minded get of spiritual profit 
out of their mutual intercourse. It must not be 
forgotten that all the characters in this parable 
are children of this world ; the steward contrives 
the fraud ; the debtors participate in it ; and the 
lord commends it. — And I say unto you. 
What follows is Christ's application of the para- 
ble. If that be understood, the difficulties in the 
parable itself are easily cleared away. — Make to 
yourselves friends (by means) of the mam- 
mon of unrighteousness, i. c, the unrighteous 
mammon. Not, Make this unrighteous mammon 
your friend, but, Use this unrighteous mammon 
to make friends. Mammon stands for money 
(see Matt. 6 : 24, note) ; the mammon of unrighteousness 
is not money made unrighteously, nor does the 
phrase imply that Christ regards all property- 




SCBLBE AND WRITING MATERIALS. 



102 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVI. 



10 He c that is faithful in that which is least, is faith- 
ful also in much : and he that is unjust in the least, is 
unjust also in much. 

ii If therefore ye have not been faithful in the un- 
righteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the 
true rich.es ? 

12 And if ye have not been faithful in that which is 
another man's, who shall give you that which is your 
own? 

13 No d servant can serve two masters : for either he 



will hale the one, and love the other : or else he will 
bold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot 
serve God and mammon. 

14 And the Pharisees also, who e were covetous, 
heard all these things : and they derided him. 

15 And he said unto them. Ye are they which justify 
yourselves f before men ; but God s knoweth your 
hearts : for that which is highly esteemed h among 
men, is abomination in the sight of God. 

16 The ' law and the prophets were until John : since 



Matt. 25 : 21, 23. . . .d Josh. 24 : 15 ; Matt. 



.e Matt. 
3: 15... 



: 14.... f cb. 10:5 
Matt. 11 : 12, 13. 



...g Ps. 7:9; Jer. 17 : 10.... h Prov. 16 : 5 ; Mai. 



holding as a form of selfishness. Godet explains 
the meaning well. "The ear of Jesus must 
have been constantly offended with that sort of 
reckless language in which men indulge without 
scruple : my fortune, my land, my house. He 
also felt to the quick man's dependence on God, 
saw that there was a usurpation in this idea of 
ownership, a forgetfulness of the true proprie- 
tor ; on hearing such language he seemed to see 
the former playing the landlord. It is this sin, of 
which the natural man is profoundly uncon- 
scious, which He lays bare in this whole parable, 
and which He especially designates by this ex- 
pression, 'the mammon of unrighteousness.' " — 
That when ye fail. Better, When it falls 
(iy.?.l7ttj, not ixUnriTB, is the preferable reading). 
— They may receive you into everlasting 
habitations. This is not ironical, as some 
would have us believe ; nor are they that receive 
the angels, an interpretation invented for theo- 
logical reasons, and quite inconsistent with the 
structure of the parable, for those to whom the 
steward has given, receive him ; nor can we say 
with Godet, "to receive is not to introduce," and 
that the language here assumes some other 
ground of claim for admission to the everlasting 
habitations, for the only ground in the parable for 
the admission of the steward to the houses of the 
tenants is the service which he has dishonestly 
rendered them. The interpretation of this decla- 
ration is to be found, firstly, in such passages as 
2 Pet. 1 : .11, "So an entrance shall be ministered 
unto you abundantly, into the everlasting king- 
dom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ," 
since they have an abundant entrance into the 
kingdom of glory, who are welcomed to it by the 
many whom they have served on earth ; and 
secondly, in such passages as Matt. 25 : 31-46, 
the condition of admission to the kingdom of 
heaven being not merely faith, but that kind of 
faith which works by love. 

Note on the Parable of the Unjust Stew- 
ard. — Four facts, carefully considered, relieve 
this parable of most, if not of all, of its difficulty. 
(1.) Its object is indicated by its effect ; it is 
directed against covetousness (ver. u) ; (2) Christ 
does not commend the unjust steward ; the lord 
of the parable recommends him, but only for his 
shrewdness (ver. 8, note) ; (3) Christ does not advise 



his disciples to make the mammon of unrigh- 
teousness their friend, but to use the mammon 
of unrighteousness so as to make friends (ver. 9, 
note) ; (4) he elsewhere illustrates truth by con- 
trasts, showing how, since the lowest motives 
conduce to certain beneficial results, higher mo- 
tives certainly should do so. As in Luke 11 : 6-8, 
he says, since a selfish friend will yield to impor- 
tunity, and in Luke 18 : 1-7, since even an un- 
principled and an unjust judge will heed the cry 
of the wronged, much more will God, who is 
just, loving, sympathetic, answer the importu- 
nate prayers of his children ; so here, he says, 
since even a fraudulent and unjust steward, with- 
out philanthropy, or a sense of his duty to his 
lord, will yet, from mere motives of policy, use 
the authority intrusted to him to make friends 
of his tenants, much more should a servant of 
God, who has been intrusted with property, that 
he may benefit humanity, so distribute it that 
the needy shall testify to the fidelity of his stew- 
ardship and the liberality of his love. In this 
parable then the rich man represents God, the 
steward man, especially the man of wealth, the 
stewardship his property, which is not his own, 
but is intrusted to him, the tenants the poor, the 
summons to account, death, which is a call to 
judgment. The parable may even be carried 
further ; and it may be said that the scheme of 
the steward has its parallel in the tendency of 
men of wealth to compensate toy their bequests 
at death for their lack of liberality in their life- 
time. And the lesson is not weakened, but 
strengthened, by the fact that the analogy is not 
perfect, that the worldly steward is appointed to 
gather from the tenants for his lord, while the 
Christian steward is appointed to use his Lord's 
wealth for the benefit of his Lord's poor. 

10-12. These aphorisms are directly connect- 
ed with the preceding parable. Ver. 10 is inter- 
preted by Matt. 25 : 21. This life is a probation ; 
fidelity here in the trust reposed in us by God 
leads to a larger trust in the future. Comp. ch. 
19 : 17. Vers. 11 and 12 simply carry out and 
enforce this truth. If one be unfaithful in the 
use of that wealth which moth and rust doth 
corrupt, how can he expect the eternal riches ? 
If he is selfish and dishonest toward God in the 
use of what belongs to God, and is but intrusted 



Ch. XVI.] 



LUKE. 



103 



that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every 
man presseth into it. 

17 And 1 it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, 
than one tittle of the law to fail. 



18 Whosoever k putteth away his wife and marrieth 
another, committeth adultery : and whosoever marri- 
eth her that is put away from her husband, committeth 
adultery. 



j Ps. 102 : 26 ; Isa. 40 : 8 ; 51 : 6 . . . . k Matt. 5 : 32 ; 1 Cor. 7 : 10, 11. 



to him, how can he expect that God will give him 
that which shall be his own ? 

13. Comp. Matt. 6 : 24, note. Whether this 
saying was repeated by Christ here, or is trans- 
ferred by Luke from the Sermon on the Mount, 
because closely connected with the topic, is un- 
certain and unimportant. 

14, 15. Peculiar to Luke. Ver. 14 indicates 
that the Pharisees understood the parable of the 
unjust steward as a rebuke of covetousness, and 
thus affords the key to its interpretation. Ver. 
15 may almost be regarded as a text of which 
the following parable of the rich man and Laza- 
rus is an illustration and an amplification. The 
latter clause of this verse, that which is highly es- 
teemed among men is abomination in the sight of 
God, is to be interpreted by the preceding clause, 
God knoweth your hearts. Comp. 1 Sam. 16 : 7. 
Not everything honored by men is abominated 
by God ; nor are there two such different stand- 
ards of judgment that what really commends 
itself to man's moral sense is condemned by 
God. But what often appears admirable to man, 
because he sees only the outward and deceitful 
appearance, is known to God to be abominable, 
because he sees the motive out of which it 
springs. This declaration gives partial interpre- 
tation to Matt. 7 : 1, Judge not ; it indicates that 
we are to be cautious in commendatory as well 
as in condemnatory judgments. 

16-18. These aphorisms appear in Matthew 
in different connections. Alford and Godet en- 
deavor, it seems to me not very successfully, to 
point out a logical connection here, to the fol- 
lowing effect : The kingdom you preach has 
been one in which the members are justified be- 
fore men ; since John a kingdom has been pro- 
claimed into which publicans and sinners are 
pressing ; his kingdom does not destroy, but 
fulfills, the Mosaic law ; of this fulfillment the 
Christian law against adultery affords an exam- 
ple. I prefer to regard the introduction of these 
aphorisms in this place as due to Luke, who puts 
them here because they are a part of Christ's 
general teaching respecting the religion of Phari- 
saism. I am not able to see that they have any 
very immediate connection with either the pre- 
ceding or the succeeding parable. On ver. 16, 
see Matt. 11 : 12, note ; on ver.- 17, Matt. 5 : 18 ; 
on ver. 18, Matt. 5 : 31, 32, note. 

Ch. 16 : 19-31. PARABLE OF THE RICH MAN AND 
LAZARUS. The contrasts of time and the con- 
trasts OP ETERNITY. — THE REALITY OF PUNISH- 
MENT. — THE SEPARATION IN THE FUTURE LIFE. — 



Christ's condemnation of the claims of spiritism. 
— The causes and the cure of skepticism. See 
Prel. Note. 

Pkeliminaky Note.— This parable is intimate- 
ly connected with the preceding parable ; like 
that, it is aimed at +he covetousness of the Phar- 
isees. It is no answer to this to say that the 
Pharisees were not characteristically prodigal 
and luxurious. That many of them were aus- 
tere, and even ascetic (Luke is : 12), is undoubtedly 
true ; but there is abundant indication in Christ's 
denunciation of the Pharisees elsewhere (see espe- 
cially Matt., ch. 23 ; Luke 14 : 7-14), that the COVetOUSneSS 

of that day, as well as of our own, sometimes 
accompanied the vice of hoarding, and some- 
times that of a prodigal but purely selfish ex- 
penditure. The root of the vice is in either case 
the same unbelief; and this root is clearly 
brought to view at the close of this parable, 
where worldliness is shown to be always and of 
necessity accompanied with that kind of unbe- 
lief which refuses credence to moral and spirit- 
ual truths. This parable is not an allegory, and 
the attempt to give it an allegorical interpreta- 
tion is unworthy of the conscientious commenta- 
tor. It belongs to the class of the good Samaritan, 
not to that of the sower. It is, in truth, a chap- 
ter out of real life, the contrasts both in the 
present and in the future here depicted being 
common in all ages. This parable " is not like a 
type, which a man cannot read until it is turned, 
but bike a manuscript, which delivers its sense 
directly and at first hand." — (Arnot.) As the 
materials for the parable are borrowed from 
actual life, so "the colors are almost all bor- 
rowed from the palette of the rabbis." — (Godet.) 
The references to hades (hell) and to Abraham's 
bosom are to be interpreted by the common phi- 
losophy of that age. Speaking to the Pharisees, 
Christ employs the language if he does not as- 
sume the truth of their theology. But, while 
we may not press literally the figures which 
Christ has thus borrowed, neither can we think 
that he has employed them to endorse and en- 
force false views of the future life. In sub- 
stance, the truths embodied here must be ac- 
cepted by those who accept Christ as a divine 
teacher ; though it may not be easy to discrimi- 
nate between the truths intended to be illustrated 
and the poetic figures employed simply for the 
purpose of illustration. This much is to me 
very clear : (1.) There is no ground for the opin- 
ion of Renan and some of the German commen- 
tators that this parable is aimed against riches as 



104 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XVI. 



ig There was a certain rich man, which was clothed 
in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every- 
day : 



such, the rich man being condemned for his 
wealth, and Lazarus saved for his poverty. "It 
would be hard to understand how, if wealth, as 
such, were the rich man's sin, the celestial ban- 
quet could be presided over by Abraham, the 
richest of the rich in Israel." — {Godet.) (2.) The 
interpretation which finds in this parable an alle- 
gory of the calling of the Gentiles, though it is 
supported by many of the ancient and some of 
the modern commentators, is an afterthought, 
and was neither in the mind of Christ nor in the 
minds of his hearers. According to this inter- 
pretation, Dives represents the Jewish nation ; 
Lazarus represents the Gentiles ; the death of 
Lazarus and his reception into Abraham's bosom 
prefigures the reception of the Gentiles into the 
church of God ; and Dives in torments answers 
to the anguish and despair of the Jewish nation 
cast out. (3.) We may say in general with John 
Service (Salvation Here and Hereafter), that "this 
parable is meant to take us, as it were by storm, 
and once for all, out of this (the customary and 
earthly) way of regarding life. * * * The 
purpose is greater and wider than to teach us 
any religious lesson. It is to awaken us once for 
all to serious, to religious thought." And this 
it does by its dramatic representation of the real 
worthlessness of that in external condition which 
we are most wont to value. In this respect it is 
like the parable of the rich fool (ch. 12 : 16-21). But 
(4) it does also teach some religious lessons, as 
the reality of punishment, the certain, and ap- 
parently the eternal, separation of men in the 
future state, impliedly the immortality of both 
the saved and the lost, and the futility of any 
revelations from the spirit world. Further than 
that, it seems to me that it is not safe to go in 
the interpretation of details, as, for example, by 
concluding that the lost and the saved hold con- 
verse with one another, that the lost are in lit- 
eral physical torments, or that they have a sin- 
cere desire for the salvation of others upon earth. 
19-21. In these verses Christ simply describes 
pictorially the condition of the two men as they 
would appear to the sight. It is as if we were 
walking with him through the streets of Jerusa- 
lem, and he pointed us to the mansion of the 
rich man, known only for and by his wealth, his 
sumptuous attire, and his great entertainments, 
and to the poor man, who lies at the gate of the 
mansion, feeding on such crumbs as maybe sup- 
plied him by the compassion of the servants, and 
getting such relief as is afforded by the dogs 
licking his sores. We note the contrast ; then 
Christ draws aside the veil, and we see the con- 
trast in the other life ; and the two pictures, the 



20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, 
which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 

21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell 



earthly and the heavenly, are left by the Master 
to produce their own impression upon our minds. 
That impression would be weakened, not deep- 
ened, by any analysis of the two characters of 
the story. We are left to draw our own conclu- 
sions respecting those characters from the course 
of the story itself. To conclude that Lazarus was 
pious, merely because his name signifies "help 
in God," is only less absurd than to conclude 
that he was carried to heaven only because he 
was poor upon the earth. — There was a cer- 
tain rich man. It is a curious illustration of 
the untrustworthiness of priestly traditions, that 
the houses of the rich man and Lazarus are 
pointed out by the priests in Jerusalem. — 
Which was clothed in purple and fine 
linen. "The purple and fine linen are named 
often together (Esth. 1 : 6 ; Rev. is : 12), both being in 
highest esteem, and the combination of colors 
which they offered, blue and white, greatly 
prized. The extreme costliness of the true sea- 
purple of antiquity is well known. It was 
the royal hue ; and the purple garment then, 
as now, a royal gift (Esth. 8 : 15) ; with it too the 
heathen idols were clothed (jer. 10 : 9) ; there was 
as much therefore of pride as of luxury in its 
use. The byssus, or fine linen, was hardly in less 
price or esteem. All then of costliest and rarest 
he bestowed upon himself. Nor was it on some 
high days only that he so arrayed himself and so 
feasted. The ' purple and fine linen ' were his or- 
dinary apparel, the sumptuous fare his every-day 
entertainment." — (Trench.) — Fared sumptu- 
ously every day. Feasted sumptuou&ly. The 
implication is, of one devoting himself to selfish 
and sensual enjoyment. — There was a certain 
beggar named Lazarus. Beggary, such as 
is here depicted, is much more common in the 
East than with us, and in the absence of any 
more systematic provision, almsgiving to the 
poor was insisted upon by the O. T. (job 29 : 13; 
Ps. 41 : 1 ; 112 : 9 ; Prov. 14 : 31 ). In neglecting Lazarus, 
this rich man was therefore palpably disregard- 
ing the spirit of the O. T. requirements. That 
he knew Lazarus and his condition is clearly im- 
plied by vers. 23, 24. That the poor man's name 
is given and the rich man's is not, has been noted 
by all commentators as a significant fact. Augus- 
tine suggests that Christ found the name of Laz- 
arus in the Book of Life ; Cajetan, that Christ 
thus indicates that the spiritual order of things 
is contrary to the worldly, that here the names 
of the rich are widely known, hereafter their 
wealth does not keep their name from oblivion. 
The name Dives often given to the rich man, is 
taken from the Latin word divis, meaning rich. 



J 



Ch. XVL] 



LUKE. 



105 



from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came 
and licked his sores. 

22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and 
was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: 1 
the™ rich man also died, and was buried : 

23 And n in hell he lift up his eyes, being in tor- 
ments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his 
bosom. 



24 And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have 
mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the 
tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue ;° for I 
am tormented in this fiame.P 

25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in 
thy lifetime i receivedst thy good things, and likewise 
Lazarus evil things : but now he is comforted, and thou 
art tormented. 



1 Matt. 8: 11... m Prov. 14: 



.n Rev. 14:10, 11. 



.0 Zech. 14: 12... 
Ps. 73 : 12-19- 



p Isa. 66 : 24 ; Mark 9 : 44, etc. . . .q ch. 6 : 24 ; Job 21 : 13 ; 



— Desiring to be fed. It was for this purpose 
he was laid here by friends ; whether or how far 
his desire was satisfied, is not indicated. But 
that he expected nothing but the crumbs which 
fell from the table of the rich man, is clear. — 
The dogs came and licked his sores. This 
touch not only adds to the dramatic force of the 
picture, by indicating his nakedness and for- 
saken condition ; it also brings out the inhuman- 
ity of man by depicting the sympathy of the 
hrutes. The contrast between the rich man and 
Lazarus is well epitomized by Trench : "Dives 
is covered with purple and fine linen, Lazarus 
covered only with sores. One fares sumptuously, 
the other desires to be fed with crumbs. One 
has hosts of attendants to wait on his every ca- 
price ; though this circumstance is left to our 
imagination to supply; only the dogs tend the 
sores of the other." 

22. The beggar died and was carried by 
the angels to Abraham's bosom. ^Of his 
burial nothing is said ; not, as Meyer suggests, 
because of the Rabbinical notion that the pious 
were transferred body and soul to Paradise ; but 
because the burial of the beggar was not worthy 
of note. He was here to-day ; to-morrow he was 
gone ; no one knew what had become of him. — 
The rich man also died and was buried. 
The last service his wealth could render him was 
a magnificent funeral. For him life was all ex- 
tinguished in the grave. 

23. And in hades. In the English version 
of the N. T., the word hell is unfortunately used 
indiscriminately in rendering two very different 
Greek words (uidrjg hades, and rtsva Gehenna) ; 
the first, which is used here, never signifies the 
special place of punishment, but simply the 
abode of the departed. This, according to the 
ancient Hebraic opinion, was a deep and dark 
•abode, generally located in the centre of the 
earth, where were assembled both good and evil 
spirits, but classed according to their spiritual 
character. It was thus divided into a place of 
punishment and one of reward, a paradise and a 
hell, but both temporary. At the general judg- 
ment, it was believed that all would come forth 
from this abode, but while the righteous would 
be permanently delivered from it, the wicked 
would be thrust hack into it again.— Seeing 
Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his 



bosom. The language is borrowed from the 
custom, common in the East, of reclining on 
couches at meals, in such a way that each guest 
rested partially upon the bosom of his nearest 
neighbor. See Vol. I, p. 282, for illustration. 
This position, with respect to the master of the 
house, was one of especial honor, and only occu- 
pied by dear friends. Hence to lie in Abraham's 
bosom became among the Jews a common meta- 
phorical expression of the highest condition and 
felicity. As such it is used by Christ here. 

24, 25. Father Abraham. Even now the 
rich man hases his life on the fact that he is a 
son of Abraham. Abraham, in his reply, Son, 
remember, recognizes the fact, but does not re- 
cognize in it any claim whatever. It was a Rab- 
binical proverb, "All the circumcised are safe." 
This proverb Christ here impliedly, as John the 
Baptist directly, in ch. 3 : 8, repudiates. Future 
condition depends not on ceremonial nor on in- 
heritance, but on personal character (John i : is). — 
Dip the tip of his finger in water. Lazarus 
desired ci-umbs of bread from the rich man on 
earth ; the rich man desires drops of water from 
Lazarus in hades. — I am tormented in this 
flame. The language is metaphorical. It is as 
absurd to deduce from this language a doctrine 
of physical torment in an actual flame, as it would 
be to conclude that the separation between the 
lost and the saved, is one interposed by a mere 
physical gulf, across which conversation can be 
carried on, and which could be easily bridged by 
the resources of modern engineering. But the 
metaphor means something. What ? It is cer- 
tain that our Lord, who knew whereof he spoke, 
would not have used such a symhol, if it were 
not an apt one to designate the mental and spir- 
itual suffering of the condemned. "Hardened 
sinners have died crying, ' Fire ! ' Did the fire 
leave them when they left their bodies ? "—(Al- 
ford. )— Son , remember. This is itself a hint of 
the torment ; the self-reproach of a condemning 
memory, that will never forget.— Thou in thy 
life-time receivedst thy good things. But 
he does not say, Lazarus his evil things. They 
were the rich man's good things, because they 
were the things which he made his chief good 
while he lived. Comp. ch. 6 : 24, note, andl Tim. 
6 : 9, 10. This explains the conclusion of the verse. 
— He is comforted, and thou art torment- 



106 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVIL 






26 And beside all this, between us and you there is a 
great gulf fixed : so that they which would pass from 
hence to you cannot; neither 1 can they pass to us, 
that would come from thence. 

27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that 
thou wouldest send him to my father's house : 

28 For I have five brethren ; that he may testify unto 
them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 

29 Abraham saith unto him, They 8 have Moses and 
the prophets ; let them hear them. 

30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham : but if one 
went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 

31 And he said unto him, If* they hear not Moses 
and the prophets, neither will u they be persuaded, 
though one rose from the dead. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



THEN said he unto the disciples, It T fs impossible 
but that offences will come: but woe unto him 
through whom they come ! 

2 It were better for him that a millstone were hanged 
about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he 
should offend one of these little ones. 

3 Take heed to yourselves : If thy brother trespass 
against thee, rebuke w him ; and if he repent, forgive 
him. 

4 And if he trespass against thee seven times in a 
day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, say- 
ing, I repent ; thou x shalt forgive him. 



Isa. 34 : 16 ; John 5 : 



...t 2Cor.4:3.. 
x Matt. 



.u John 12 : 10, 11 ... .v Matt. 18 : 6, ' 
: 12, 14 ; Col. 3 : 13. 



Mark 9 : 42 w Lev. 19 : 17. 



ed. — Not because the one suffered evil, and the 
other enjoyed luxury : Abraham does not say 
this ; and there is not here, nor I think anywhere 
else in Scripture, the doctrine that " the cause of 
an unbroken prosperity is ever a sign and augury 
of ultimate reprobation." Abraham recalls the 
contrast between the present condition and the 
past condition of the two ; the ground of the 
present condition is sufficiently indicated by the 
phrase, thy good things. 

26. In the preceding verse, Abraham has 
maintained the justice of the condition of the 
rich man. In this verse he declares that condi- 
tion to be unalterably fixed. The language is of 
course metaphorical, but the metaphor cannot be 
misunderstood. The great gulf is one which 
neither mercy from heaven nor repentance from 
hell, can bridge. Observe, however, that there 
is no evidence of real repentance on the part of 
the rich man. Compare with Christ's parabolic 
teaching here, that of ch. 13 : 24r-27 ; Matt. 
25 : 10-12, 46. 

27, 28. It is not necessary, on the one hand, 
to attribute the petition of the rich man to a sel- 
fish aim, nor to see in it, on the other, an evi- 
dence of his partial reformation, as though the 
fires in which he was tormented had already ac- 
complished a partial purification. It is not even 
necessary to suppose, that such a request could 
or would be preferred by the condemned in an- 
other life. It is here supposed by Christ simply 
to give occasion to the religious teaching em- 
bodied in Abraham's reply. 

29-31. In this dialogue, the rich man repre- 
sents the spirit of Pharisaism, which was accus- 
tomed to demand from Jesus signs from heaven 
as an evidence of his divine mission and author- 
ity ; the spirit of modern skepticism, which de- 
mands new intellectual evidences for the truth 
of Christianity, and places its unbelief avowedly 
on the insufficiency of the evidences already 
forthcoming ; and the spirit of modern supersti- 
tion, manifested in spiritism and ecclesiasticism, 
which, endeavoring to meet this same demand 
for signs and wonders in less intellectual classes 



of society, provides miracles and supernatural 
manifestations. The answer of Abraham repre- 
sents the spirit of Christianity which recognizes 
the secret of all skepticism to be in the moral na- 
ture; which recognizes in the word of God itself 
its own sufficient evidence ; and which declares 
that no proof whatever of a purely intellectual 
character will suffice to convince those who are 
living worldly lives, and whose unbelief is rooted 
in worldliness of any form. Christ's language 
implies not only the adequacy of revelation, but 
also the futihty, and therefore the improbability, 
of supernatural appearances of the dead, such as 
are maintained by modern spiritism. The truth 
of the declaration put here by Christ into Abra- 
ham's mouth, was strikingly verified by the ef- 
fect upon the Pharisees of the resurrection of an- 
other Lazarus (John n : 47-50), and of our Lord's 
resurrection (Matt. 28 : 12-14). It is noted by the 
commentators, that the rich man hopes that his 
brothers will be led to repent, i. e., to change their 
course of life ; Abraham replies, they will not 
even be persuaded. They must change their life 
that they may be persuaded, not by new evidence 
be persuaded that they may change their life. 

Ch. 17 : 1-10. VARIOUS SAYINGS OF CHRIST. OF- 
fenders and offences. — the duty of forgiveness. 
—The power of faith.— Pharisaism condemned bt 
its own principles. 

Of these sayings, some are reported in other 
connections by the other evangelists ; others are 
peculiar to Luke ; see below. Whether this is to 
be regarded as one discourse, including apho- 
risms, given elsewhere, or as a collection of 
Christ's sayings, made by Luke, is not very im- 
portant. The connection between them is clear, 
and indicates that they constitute one discourse. 
Christ warns his disciples of offences (vers. 1, 2), 
and commands them to forgive (vers. 3, 4) ; this 
command leads to their request for greater 
faith (ver. 5), and to the consequent promise of 
ver. 6 ; which is accompanied by the parable of 
the servants (vers. 7-10), which is a warning against 
the spiritual pride, which the possession and ex- 






Oh. XVII.] 



LUKE. 



107 



5 And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase r our 
faith. 

6 And the Lord said, If z ye had faith as a grain of 
mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, 
Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted 
in the sea ; and it should obey you. 

7 But which of you, having a servant plowing, or 
feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is 
come from the field, Go, and sit down to meat ? 

8 And will not rather say unto him, Make ready 



wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, 
till I have eaten and drunken ; and afterward thou 
shalt eat and drink ? 

9 Doth he thank that servant because he did the 
things that were commanded him ? I trow not 

io So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those 
things which are commanded you, say, We are a un- 
profitable servants : we have done that which was our 
duty to do. 

ii And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, 



y Heb. 12 : 2. 



Matt. 17 : 20 ; 21 : 21 ; Mark 9 : 



!; 11 : 23.... a Job 22:3; 
1 Cor. 19 : 16. 17. 



: 7 ; Ps. 16 : 2, 3 ; Isa. 64 



ercise of remarkable powers would be likely to 
stimulate. 
1, 2. Then said he unto his disciples. 

Then (Ji) is not an adverb of time ; there is noth- 
ing in the original to indicate that this discourse 
was connected with the preceding parable. This 
warning is reported in Matt. 18 : 6, 7 ; see notes 
there. 

3, 4. Comp. Matt. 18 : 15, 21, 22, where see 
notes. Observe that the duty of rebuke as well 
as of forgiveness, is taught by Christ. In what 
spirit and for what purpose this rebuke is to be 
given is indicated in Gal. 6 : 1, 2. Observe, also, 
that forgiveness is conditioned on repentance, 
because the Gospel idea of forgiveness includes 
a putting away of, a relieving from the trans- 
gression, not merely a remission of penalty, and 
this never can be done for another, except in 
concurrence with his own repentance. 

5, 6. Add to our faith. Not, Add faith to 
our other gifts, for faith is the foundation (2 Pet. 
1 : 5), but add to the stock of faith which we al- 




SYCAMTNB OB MTJLBEEBT BBANCH. 

ready possess. Christ, so far from rebuking this 
request, as though the disciple should for him- 
self exercise faith, by his reply intimates that 
they should have asked not an increase but a gift 
of the very seed and germ of faith. — As a grain 
of mustard seed. Which is selected not, as 
Adam Clarke, because it increases and thrives re- 



markably, but because it is the least of seeds 
(Matt. 13 : 32, note). — Ye might say unto this 
sycamine tree. Not the same as the syca- 
more (ch. 19 : 4). That is the Egyptian fig, this is 
the mulberry tree, not very common in Pales- 
tine, but sometimes found there. — It should 
obey you. Comp. Mark 11 : 22-26, notes. If 
we here take faith, as defined in Heb. 11 : 1, as 
the evidence of the unseen, Christ's language is 
hardly hyperbolical, for it is by the developed 
power to see unseen verities that man has at- 
tained all his mastery over nature. 

7-10. In interpreting this parable, a slight 
modification must be made in the language of 
verse 7, which should read, notTTl^ say unto him 
by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and 
sit doicn to meat, but Will say unto him when he is 
come from the field, Go immediately and sit down 
to meat. The picture is drawn in accordance 
with Oriental usages. The same one who serves 
in the field also frequently serves at the table. 
His clothes are girded about his loins to keep 
them out of his way while handing the dishes. 
The custom requires constant attendance at the 
table, to change each dish as soon as the mas- 
ter has done with it for a new one ; sometimes 
ten or twenty, or even fifty dishes, succeed on 
the tables of those who fare sumptuously. 

In the spiritual interpretation of this parable 
there is a difficulty, because (1) throughout 
Christ assumes the relation between the disciple 
and his Lord to be that between a slave and his 
master, while elsewhere he explicitly declares 
that his disciples are not servants, but friends 
(John is .- is ; comp. Gal. 4 : 7) ; (2) he elsewhere declares 
that when he comes he will gird himself and 
make his faithful servants sit down to meat, and 
will serve them (Lnke 12 : 37) ; in his parable of the 
Judgment he represents himself as thanking 
them for the fidelity of their service (Matt. 25 • 21) ; 
and Paul, waiting to finish his course, declares 
his expectation of a crown of righteousness, 
which the righteous Judge shall give to all who 
love his appearing (2 Tim. 4 : s). The explanation 
of this apparent inconsistency is to be found in 
the fact that Christ was habitually accustomed 
to descend to the moral plane of his auditors, to 
convict them, not by proving their principles to 
be wrong, but by apparently accepting and using 



108 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVII. 



that he passed through the midst of Samaria 6 and 
Galilee. 

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met 
him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar c off : 



13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, 
Master, have mercy on us. 

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go 
shew d yourselves unto the priests. And it came to 
pass, that, as e they went, they were cleansed. 



b ch. 9 : 51, 52 ; John 4:4 c Lev. 13 : 46 d ch. 5 : 14 ; Lev. 13 : 2 ; 14 : 3 ; Matt. 8:4 e 2 Kings 5 : 14; Isa. 65 : 24. 




LORD AND SERVANT. 

their own principles. Thus, when the rich young 
ruler (Matt. 19 • 16-22) comes to him asking, What 
good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 
Christ does not preach to him the doctrine of 
justification by faith, but replies by referring 
him only to the moral law, and leaving him to 
convict himself by the inquiry, What lack I 
yet ? So when the lawyer asks him the same 
question (Luke 10 : 25-29), Christ refers him to his 
own interpretation of the law, and compels the 
lawyer to seek self-justification by the inquiry, 
Who is my neighbor ? In this parable, as in those 
of the entire series in which it stands, Christ ad- 
dresses himself to the Pharisees, or to the spirit 
of Pharisaism in his own disciples. The essence 
of this spirit was, and is ever, a claim to be re- 
ceived and rewarded by God for work's sake. 
Christ in this parable says in effect to the Phari- 
see, "You claim to be the servant of God ? Yes. 
A faithful servant ? Yes. On that ground enti- 



tled to a seat at the table of the King ? Yes. 
Do you treat your servants thus ? When they 
come in from the field do you make haste to wel- 
come them ? to serve them ? to thank them ? I 
trow not. But if you are a servant, you must be 
content with a servant" 1 s recompense.'' 1 The moral 
of the parable, then, is not that the Christian is 
to say, "We are unprofitable servants." It is 
rather that he is not a servant at all, but a son. 
He who assumes to demand as a right a recom- 
pense for his service has no claim. But he who 
comes as a son, receives the inheritance from his 
father's love ; for love gives what the law does 
not award. The reward is reckoned of grace, 
not of debt (Rom. 11 : 6) ; death is the wages of sin, 
but eternal life is the gift of God (Rom. 6 : 23) ; and 
he who as a friend and a son, in the spirit of love 
and for love's sake, serves his Lord, receives the 
gift of his Lord's love, a reward denied to him 
who was but a servant, who serves for wages, 
and who claims the reward as a debt. It is hard- 
ly necessary to say that the language of ver. 9 
does not indicate Christ's approval of begrudg- 
ing a hired servant grateful appreciation of 
faithful work. The servant in the parable is a 
slave, and the picture is taken from the actual 
treatment accorded to a slave by the ordinary 
master. Moreover, while gratitude will be 
given to rdelity of service, it cannot be de- 
manded as a right. 

Ch. 17 : 11-19. THE HEALING OF TEN LEPERS. 
Love is the highest law. 

The time of this incident appears to me to be 
wholly uncertain. It is only said that it occurred 
as Jesus was going to Jerusalem. There is 
nothing to indicate that Luke himself knew defi- 
nitely the date. As to the place, see on ver. 1. 
For a full account of leprosy, the laws of Moses 
respecting it, and its symbolical significance, see 
Matt. 8 : 2, note. 

11, 12. As he was going to Jerusalem. 
On one of his journeys, but on which one is not 
indicated. — He passed along the borders of 
Samaria and Galilee. That is, from west to 
east toward the Jordan. One of the customary 
routes from Galilee to Jerusalem, taken to avoid 
passing through Samaria, was along the northern 
border of Samaria to the Jordan, across the Jor- 
dan at Scythopolis, southward through Perea to 
the vicinity of' Galilee, where the river was re- 
crossed, and the road pursued to Jerusalem. 
The language here (Sia fiioov 2. y.al r.) may 









Ch. XVII.] 



LUKE. 



109 



15 And one of them, when he saw that he was 
healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified f 
God, 

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him 
thanks : and he was a e Samaritan. 



17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten 
cleansed ? but where are the nine ? 

18 There are not h found that returned to give glory 
to God, save this stranger. 

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy' 
faith hath made thee whole. 



1, 2 .... g John 4 : 39-42 . . .h Ps. 106 : 13 i Matt. 9 : 22 



mean, as in our English version, through the 
of Samaria and Galilee, but the other rendering 
is the more probable one. Otherwise the read- 
ing would have been, Through the midst of 
Galilee and Samaria, since Samaria lay between 
Galilee and Judea. — There met him ten men 
that were lepers. Their misery made them 
companions. The lepers, being excluded from 
all other society, are accustomed to form groups 
and communities of their own. The accompany- 
ing illustration, from the pencil of Mr. A. L. 
Eawson, illustrates this fact. Respecting it he 
says, in a private note to me : "I sketched this 
scene outside the Jaffa Gate at Jerusalem, where 
it was a morning and evening spectacle during 
the entire summer of 1874 The beggars for- 
merly sat outside the Zion Gate, but lately have 
been permitted to beg here, where the greater 
number of travelers pass. Many, if not all, of 
them are lepers. Of the chief of them I made a 
portrait. They gather by the roadside before 
sunrise, and leave at sunset. In the hottest days 
they disappear for three or four hours, rather 
than roast." — Which stood afar off. As re- 
quired by the Mosaic law (Lev. 13 : 46). The space 
was fixed by rabbinical regulations, but various- 
ly by different authorities, from four to a hun- 
dred cubits. Contrast their course with that of 
the leper in Matt. 8:2; Mark 1 : 40, who broke 
over this law to come to the feet of Jesus to 
seek healing. 

13, 14. They lifted up their voices. A 
common cause, a common cry. — Go show 
yourselves unto the priests. When a leper 
was cured, before he could be restored to so- 
ciety, he was required to show himself to the 
priest, to make an offering, and to be officially 
pronounced clean. See Lev., ch. 14 ; Matt. 8:4, 
note. Christ's command thus implied a prom^e 
of cure. They were to act as if they were 
cleansed, and trust to Christ that the cleansing 
would come in his own time and way. Every 
miracle is a parable ; in this is a hint to those who 
wait before entering on practical Christian duty, 
until they have received some personal sense of 
divine pardon. To such the command of Christ 
is, Go, assume that I will and can cleanse you ; 
and begin the life of one who has been cleansed. 
—As they were going they Avere cleansed. 
Obedience is the road to forgiveness. 

15, 16. And one of them, when he saw 
that he was healed, turned back, with a 



loud voice glorifying God. The form of 
the sentence should have prevented the error of 
those who imagine that he went on to the tem- 
ple, presented himself to the priest, etc., and 
then came back and hunted up Jesus. As soon 




GROUP OP LEPERS. 

as he saw that he was cleansed he immediately 
hurried back. The contrast between him and 
the others, is that between the love which disre- 
gards the letter in order to manifest gratitude, 
and the formal obedience which adheres to the 
ritual but disregards the obligations of love and 
gratitude. The Jews adhered to the law and 
forgot the Saviour ; the Samaritan returned to 
thank his Saviour, and for the time forgot the 
law.— Giving him thanks. He gave glory to 
God, thanks to Christ ; all along his journey he 
resounded God's praises ; he gave thanks to 
Christ when he came to him. 
17, 18. The lesson to us is one that needs 



110 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XVII. 



20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, 
when the kingdom of God should come, he answered 
them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with 
observation : 



21 Neither shall they say, Lo here ! or, lo there ! for, 
behold, the J kingdom of God is within you. 

22 And he said unto the disciples, The k days will 
come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the 
Son of man, and ye shall not see it. 



j Rom. 14 : 17 k Matt. 9 : 15. 



constant reiteration. How often are meetings in 
the church convened to pray for conversion; 
how rarely are they called to give thanks for 
conversions already wrought. How relatively 
earnest are the petitions of Christians ; how cold 
and infrequent their thanksgivings. 

19. Thy faith hath saved thee. Not made 
thee whole. The word saved (WO) is used some- 
times of physical as well as of spiritual healing ; 
but this man was already made whole ; Christ 
now gives him assurance of something more, a 
cleansing of the inward sin, of which the out- 
ward leprosy was but a type. All had faith 
enough to obey Christ's command, and go show 
themselves to the priest, while as yet there was 
no sign of cure ; but only the one had the faith 
which is perfected in love. They all had faith 
and hope ; but only one had the greatest of the 
graces, that love which is the consummation of 
salvation (1 Cor. 13 : 13). 

Ch. 17 : 20-37. INSTRUCTIONS RESPECTING THE 
KINGDOM OF GOD. It has already come.— Its na- 
ture : in the soul. — Its future : hope long de- 
lated in the church ; suffering in the king ; 
earthiness and unbelief in the world ; at length 

A SUDDEN REVELATION ; A FINAL AND A CLOSE DIS- 
CRIMINATION. 

The rest of this chapter clearly consists of two 
discourses, or parts of discourses. The first 
(vers. 20, 21), is addressed to the Pharisees ; the 
second (vers. 22-37) to the disciples; and since 
Christ was not accustomed to give prophecies of 
the future, except in parabolic form, to the mul- 
titude, the second discourse must be presumed 
to have been given only to a select few, though 
not necessarily exclusively to the twelve. Be- 
tween the second discourse (vers. 22-37) and that of 
chap. 24 of Matthew, there is a striking similar- 
ity. There are some additions here not found 
there ; but in the main, the course of the argu- 
ment, and to some extent, the language is the 
same. Some commentators regard this as a dif- 
ferent discourse, in which Christ gave his disci- 
ples a part of the same admonitions and pro- 
phetic warnings, subsequently repeated in the 
Passion Week at Jerusalem. Others regard it as 
an imperfect and fragmentary report by Luke of 
a part of that discourse, which he has placed in 
this connection, because intimately connected 
with the question of the Pharisees, When the 
kingdom of God should come (ver. 20), and his 
answer thereto. The latter view, though not 
the one taken by most orthodox commentators, 



seems to me preferable. If this instruction had 
been given now to the twelve in Perea, they 
would hardly have requested its repetition a few 
months later in Jerusalem (Matt. 24 : 3) ; and if I 
have interpreted Matthew, chap. 24, aright, the 
counsel of ver. 31 here (vers. 16-is, in Matt.), refers to 
the impending destruction of Jerusalem, while 
the connection here would apparently make it 
refer to Christ's final coming, and its significance 
in that connection is not clear. See note below. 
I think then that it is probable that, as in several 
other places, Matthew, who was an eye and ear 
witness, gave the discourse in its time, location, 
and connection, while Luke, a second-hand re- 
porter, has given the same discourse, without any 
knowledge of or note concerning the time, place, 
or circumstances of the delivery, and placed it 
here because it was cognate to Christ's reply to 
the question of the Pharisees. I consider that 
the whole of the second of the two discourses 
(vers. 22-37), except vers. 31, 32, refers, not to the 
destruction of Jerusalem, but to the second 
coming of our Lord. For the reasons of this 
belief, see Matt., ch. 24, Prel. Note. 

20, 21. When he was demanded of the 
Pharisees when the kingdom of God 
should come. This demand may not have been 
made with an evil intent. The universal belief of 
the age was of a temporal kingdom, with Jerusa- 
lem as mistress of the world, a second and supe- 
rior Rome ; the Pharisees naturally asked of one, 
whose followers claimed for him that he was a 
great prophet, and some of them that he was 
the Messiah, when and how this kingdom would 
be established. On the phrase, kingdom of God, 
see Matt. 3 : 2, note.— The kingdom of God 
cometh not with observation. That is, in 
such a way as to be observed. — Neither shall 
they say, Look here or Look there. That 
is, when it comes, there shall be nothing to com- 
pel this sort of surprise and superficial admira- 
tion.— For Look. Christ puts his look! in con- 
trast with that of the world. The world looks 
without ; he bids to look within. It is the same 
word which is rendered "lo" and "behold." — 
The kingdom of God is within you. Most 
modern commentators render this, The kingdom 
of God is among you, and interpret it as parallel 
to Luke 11 : 20. The reason for this rendering, 
which is grammatically possible, though less 
natural, is given by Alford.* The words "are ad- 
dressed to the Pharisees, in whose hearts it (the 
kingdom) certainly was not." I agree with 



Ch. XVIL] 



LUKE. 



Ill 



23 And 1 they shall say to you, See here; or, see 
there : go not after them, nor follow them. 

24 For as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one 
tart under heaven, shineth unto the other fart under 
heaven ; so shall also the Son of man be in his day. 

25 But m first must he suffer many things, and be 
rejected of this generation. 

26 And as it vvas n in the days of Noe, so shall it be 
also in the days of the Son of man. 

27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, 
they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe 
entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed 
them all. 



28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot ; they 
did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they 
planted, they builded ; 

29 But the same day that Lot went out ° of Sodom, it 
rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed 
them all. 

30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of 
man is revealed.p 

31 In that day, he which shall be upon the housetop, 
and his stuff in the house, let him not come down to 
take it away : and he that is in the field, let him like- 
wise not return back. 

32 Remember Lot's 1 wife. 



1 ch. 21 : 8 ; Matt. 24 : 23, etc. ; Mark 13 : 21. . . .m ch. 



! Mark 8:31.. 
q Gen. 19 : 26. 



Gen. 7 : 11, 23. . . .o Gen. 19 : 23, 24. . . .p 2 Thess. 



Godet in thinking the reading of our English ver- 
sion to he preferable. It is more natural ; it bet- 
ter agrees with the context. The declaration is 
not historical, but philosophical ; the assertion 
not of a fact but of a law. Christ does not say 
that the kingdom of God is already established 
among the Pharisees, which was not indeed true 
in any sense, but that the nature of that king- 
dom is such that it is to be found within the 
heart. 

There is no passage so brief in Scripture which 
contains so much valuable and significant truth 
respecting the kingdom of God, or the kingdom 
of heaven, as these two verses. That kingdom 
is not to be established by Christ's second com- 
ing ; he then comes not to found but to take pos- 
session of his kingdom. Great public events, 
whether military, political, or religious, as the 
Crusades, the Reformation, and so-called revival 
meetings, are not the coming of his kingdom, 
though they may help to prepare the way for it. 
That kingdom is righteousness, and peace, and 
joy, in the Holy Ghost (Rom. 14 : 17) ; it is in the 
disposition and character of the individual, and 
in the development of a society, nurtured in 
the spirit and in accord with the precepts and 
principles of Jesus Christ ; and therefore it 
comes of necessity by gradual processes and in 
ways which attract no observation, except in 
their results. The earthquake may prepare the 
heart of the jailer for the kingdom ; but the 
kingdom does not come in the earthquake. 

22, 24. And he said unto the disciples* 
Whether this is a fragmentary report of the dis- 
course in the Passion week, more fully reported 
by Matthew, and partially by Luke in ch. 21, or 
not, it clearly was not given to the Pharisees, 
nor in immediate connection with the preceding 
verses. — Ye shall desire to see one of the 
days of the Son of Man. He refers to the 
universal desire throughout the church, in the 
absence of its Lord, for his promised reappear- 
ance.— See here ! or, See there ! A caution 
against the danger of deceit, whether by false 
prophets or misled interpreters. "A warning to 
all so-called expositors, and followers of exposi- 
tors, of prophecy, who cry, See here ! or, See 



there ! every time that war breaks out or revolu- 
tions occur."— (Alford.) — For as the light- 
ning, etc. The second coming of Christ will be 
sudden and public ; no misapprehension will be 
possible. Comp. Rev. 6 : 13-17. See note on 
Matt. 24 : 26, 27. 

25-30. But first he must suffer. Comp. 
Matt. 16 : 21 ; Luke 24 : 26 ; Acts 3 : 18.— And . 
be rejected. The original implies trial as well 
as rejection, i. e., rejection after trial. The suf- 
fering and rejection laid the foundation for the 
kingdom and the glory. — As it was in the 
days of Noah. Comp. Matt. 24 : 37-39, notes ; 
2 Pet. 3 : 3, 4. — Likewise also as it was in 
the days of Lot. The example of the days of 
Lot is peculiar to Luke.— Even thus. Liter- 
ally, According to these (y.a ra tawru) ; as though 
these were expressly intended by God as types 
and symbols of the great destruction, to involve 
the whole world and all mankind.— When the 
Son of man is revealed. "The word re- 
vealed {unoY.alvmtai, uncovered) supposes that 
Jesus is present, but that a veil conceals his per- 
son from the view of the world. All at once the 
veil is lifted, and the glorified Lord is visible to 
all."— (Godet.) Comp. Col. 3 : 3, 4 ; 2 Thess. 1:7; 
1 Pet. 1 : 7. 

31, 32. See Matt. 24 : 16-18, notes. Clearly 
this command, as reported by Matthew, is a 
practical and prudential direction to the disci- 
ples as to their course when they see the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem impending, the evidence of 
which is to be afforded them by the "abomina- 
tion of desolation." They are then to flee in- 
stantly and without delay out of the city. 
Here, in my judgment, Luke has placed the 
counsel out of its appropriate order, and in im- 
mediate connection with a prophecy of the 
second coming of Christ, to which it is wholly 
inapplicable. From that coming the disciples 
will not desire to flee, and none else can. 
Godet, indeed, endeavors to apply it to the Last 
Days, with what success the reader may judge 
for himself. "There is no mention of fleeing 
from one part of the earth to another, but of 
rising from the earth to the Lord, as he passes 
and disappears : 'Let him not come down from 



112 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVIII. 



33 Whosoever r shall seek to save his life shall lose 
it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. 

34 I tell you, in that night there 3 shall be two men in 
one bed ; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be 
left. 

35 Two women shall be grinding together ; the one 
shall be taken, and the other left. 

36 Two men shall be in the field ; the one shall be 
taken, and the other left. 

37 And they answered and said unto him, Where, 
Lord ? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body 
zV thither will the eagles be gathered together. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



AND he spake a parable unto them to this end, that 
men ought" always to pray, and not to faint ; 

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared 
not God, neither regarded man : 

3 And there was a widow in that city ; and she came 
unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

4 And he would not for a while : but afterward he said 
within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man ; 

5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge 
her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 



r ch. 9 : 24; Matt. 16: 25; Mark 8 : 35 ; John 12: 25.... s Matt. 24:40, 41... t Job 39 : 30 ; Matt. 24:28....n ch. 11 : 8; 21 : 
Pa. 65 : 2 ; 102 : 17 ; Rom. 12 : 12 ; Ephes. 6 : 18 ; Phil. 4 : 6. 



the roof ; but forgetting all that is in the house, 
let him be ready to follow the Lord. So he who 
is in the fields is not to attempt to return home 
to carry upward with him some object of value. 
The Lord is there ; if any one belongs to Him, 
let him leave everything at once to accompany 
Him." I am, however, unable to conceive how 
in the supreme moment of the Lord's reappear- 
ing, and on the eve of the destruction of the 
world and all that it contains, when even the 
godless are seeking only self-destruction (Rev. 
6 : 16), any disciple should have any inclination to 
go back to his house for a coat, or down into it 
for household furniture. But, except for this 
warning, Christians in Jerusalem might well have 
thus delayed when the Roman armies began to 
encompass the city. 

33. See Matt. 10 :39. Shall preserve {^woyoviw) 
is, literally, shall bring forth life. "That day 
shall come as pains of labor on a woman in tra- 
vail (see Matt. 24 : 8, note) ; but to the saints of 
God it shall be the birth of the soul and body to 
life and glory everlasting." — ( Worclsioorth.) He 
who is always busy saving his own soul is not the 
one assured of salvation ; for salvation is by self- 
sacrifice. 

34-36. See Matt. 24 : 40, 41. The reference 
here is clearly to the second coming of Christ, 
and this is quite apparent from the connection, as 
the discourse is reported by Matthew. " At this 
time, a selection will take place, a selection which 
will instantaneously break all earthly relations, 
even the most intimate, and from which there 
will arise a new grouping of humanity in two 
new families or societies, the taken and the left.' 1 '' 
— (Oodet.) Ver. 36 is regarded as spurious by 
the best scholars. It has been transferred from 
Matthew, where its genuineness is unquestioned. 

37. The disciple's curiosity our Lord refuses 
to gratify ; h*e even elsewhere declares that he 

COUld not if he WOUld (Mark 13 : 32; comp. Acts 

i : 7). His reply is a general one, that wher- 
ever there is corruption, there the ministers 
of God's judgments will be assembled ; each 
new judgment being, like the destruction of 
Jerusalem, a type of the final judgment. See 
further, Matt. 24 : 28, note. 



Ch. 18 : 1-14. PARABLES CONCERNING PRAYER. Im- 
portunity in prayer. — Humility in prayer. 

Compare with the teaching here that of ch. 
11 : 1-13 ; see notes there. As in the parable 
there, and in that of the Unjust Steward (ch. 
16 : 1-8), Christ here in the parable of the Unjust 
Judge illustrates, by contrast. The argument 
is, If an unjust judge can be moved to do right 
by importunity, shall not the Judge of all the 
earth be much more moved by the petitions of 
his afflicted children ? Having thus illustrated 
the duty of patient, persistent prayer in the first 
parable, in the second he illustrates the spirit 
which should pervade and inspire prayer. The 
attempt to trace a detailed parallelism, to make 
the widow represent the church, the adversary 
Satan, and the unjust judge God, appears to me 
to be artificial. The parable is employed to illus- 
trate the single point, indicated in ver. 1. To 
press it in detail is to impair, not enhance, its full 
meaning. For an O. T. illustration of right and 
wrong kind of importunity, compare 1 Kings 
18 : 26-28, with 1 Kings 18 : 43, 44. 

1. Men ought always to pray, and not 
to faint. Here, as in Ephes. 6 : 18, is a sugges- 
tive hint of the truth, that persistence in prayer 
requires courage. Prayer is sometimes a restful 
communion, sometimes a soul-wrestling. Always 
is here equivalent to at all times. It may be true 
that "the earnest desire of the heart is prayer" 
(Mford), though I doubt whether this is true 
in any, except a poetical sense ; it is true, that 
the heart should always maintain such relations 
with God, that every act and thought should be 
consecrated by the sense of his presence, and this 
may be what is meant by the exhortation to 
"pray without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5 : 17). But 
neither is the real point of the parable here, 
which is given to teach, us, not the duty of an 
earnest or devout heart, but the duty of not suf- 
fering discouragement in prayer, because times 
are adverse, and no answer appears to be vouch- 
safed. 

2, 3. A judge which feared not God nor 
regarded man. No lower moral state can well 
be imagined than is described in these two 
phrases. He was indifferent to the condemna- 






Ch. XVIII.] 



LUKE. 



113 



6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge 
saith. 

7 And shall not God avenge v his own elect, which 
cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with 
them ? 

8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily . w 



Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall x he 
find faith on the earth ? 

9 And he spake this parable unto certain which * 
trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and 
despised others : 

io Two men went up into the temple to pray ; the 
one was a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 



v Rev. 6:10.. 



46 : 5 ; Heb. 10 : 37 ; 2 Pet. 3 : 8, 9 x Matt. 24 : 12 . . . . y ch. 10 : : 



tion pronounced by God against perversion of 

justice (Exod. 23 : 6-9 ; Lev. 19 : 15 ; Deut. 1 : 16, 17 , 2 Chron. 

19 : 5-7) ; be was shamelessly indifferent to his own 
reputation among men ; and he was conscious of 
his own audacity and gloried in his shame (ver. 4). 
The judges in the East are generally irresponsi- 
ble and corrupt ; take bribes from either or both 
parties ; from their decisions there is in most 
cases no appeal ; and the proceedings in execu- 
tion of their decrees are summary. — And there 
was a widow in that city. In the East the 
position of a widow is one of absolute helpless- 
ness. In India she is regarded as suffering a 
special visitation of divine wrath, for her own or 
her ancestors' sins, is excluded from all society, 
and is made a common drudge and the subject of 
unlimited petty despotism, especially by her 
husband's family. The O. T. denounces this 
treatment of widows, and declares them to be 
under God's special keeping (Exod. 22: 22-24; Deut. 

10 : 18 ; Dent. 24 : 17 ; Psalm 68 : 5 ; 146 : 9 ; Jer. 7:6; 22 : 3 ; 

49 : ii ; Mai. 3 : 5). — Avenge me of mine adver- 
sary. Either Punish his wrong-doing, or Pro- 
tect from his wrong-doing ; the latter is proba- 
bly the better meaning. The justice of her case 
is throughout pre-supposed. 

4, 5. He would not for awhile. The 
reason why the unjust judge would not heed the 
widow's complaints, is implied to be his selfish 
indifference. The reason why God often ap- 
pears for awhile not to heed the complaints of 
his people is not given. That reason lies in his 
own counsel, and beyond our full comprehen- 
sion. There is, however, a hint of it in ver. 7, 
below. — Lest by her continual coming she 
weary me. Literally, Beat me (t>7rcu7rta£tu). 
The verb is a pugilistic one, the same used by 
Paul in 1 Cor. 9 : 27, and there translated, "I 
keep under my body." The hyperbole indicates 
the impatience and unreasonableness of the un- 
just judge. The language of all nations abounds 
with like instances of this spirit of exaggeration 
in the impatient. Thus, to be "pestered," is 
literally to be afflicted with the pest; to be 
"worried," is to be strangled, etc. 

6-8. And the Lord said. What follows is 
the application of the parable, and, with the lan- 
guage of ver. 1, gives the key to the correct in- 
terpretation of the whole. — Though he bear 
long with them. There are two renderings 
of this phrase possible. It may mean, Though 



he bears long with the oppressors; it may mean, 
When also he is patient toward his own elect . The lat- 
ter interpretation appears to mc preferable, both 
from grammatical and from spiritual considera- 
tions. It then completes the contrast between 
the unjust judge and the loving All-Eather, who is 
never vexed and impatient at the importunity of 
his chosen ones. But whichever interpretation 
be adopted, forbearance, not indifference, is indi- 
cated as the reason why God delays to answer 
the prayers of his children. He cannot deliver 
them without bringing judgment on the op- 
pressors, and he waits, that his long-suffering 
may become the means of their salvation (Rom. 

2 : 4; 2 Pet. 3 : 9, is). — He will avenge them 
speedily. Not He will speedily come to avenge 
them, but When he comes he will make a speedy 
end (i Sam. 3 : 12). — Shall he find faith on the 
earth ? One of those mournful utterances 
which show how hard a burden to the heart 
of Christ is the unbelief of his own disciples. 
Comp. Matt. 17 : 17. 

9. He spake this parable unto certain 
which trusted in themselves because 
they were righteous. There has been some 
discussion respecting the question to whom this 
parable was primarily addressed, whether (1) to 
the Pharisees, (2) to Christ's own disciples, or 
(3) to followers who were inclined partially to 
accept his teachings, but in whom the leaven of 
Pharisaism still remained. Clearly it was not 
addressed to the Pharisees, because then it could 
not be called a parable ; the Pharisee was used to 
illustrate a spirit which Christ perceived in 
others. Probably it was addressed to his follow- 
ers, being evoked by observing a tendency to 
spiritual pride among them. More important is 
it to note, that it is still addressed to all those 
in the Christian community who trust to them- 
selves because their own character and conduct 
appears to them meritorious. In contrast, Christ 
holds up the picture of one who trusts wholly to 
the mercy of a forgiving God. Thus, he paraboli- 
cally teaches that doctrine of justification by 
faith alone, which was so predominant in the 
teachings of Paul. See, for example, Eom. 

3 : 20-28 ; Ephes. 2 : 1-10 ; Phil. 3 : 4-10. Paul 
himself was before his conversion the Pharisee, 
but afterward the publican. — And despised 
others. As humility and charity are twins 
(i Cor. 13 : 4), so pride and contempt. 



114 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVIII. 



ii The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with him- 
self: God, I thank thee that I am not 2 as other men 
are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this 
publican. 

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I 



13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not 



lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote a 
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justi- 
fied rather than the other : for b every one that exalt- 
eth himself shall be abased ; and he that humbleth 
himself shall be exalted. 

15 And c they brought unto him also infants, that he 



5 ; Rev. 3 : 17 .... a Jer. 31 : 19 .... b Job 22 : 29 ; Matt. 23 : 12 .... c Matt. 19 : 13 ; Mark 10 : 



10. The one a Pharisee, and the other 
a publican. The former a type of orthodox 
belief and a vigorous but legal morality ; the 
other a type of the justly condemned and the 
outcast. "A Brahmin and a Pariah, as one 
might say, if preaching from this Gospel in 
India. " — (Trench. ) On the character of the Phar- 
isees, see Matt. 3 : 7, note ; on the character of 
the publicans, Matt. 9 : 9, note. 

11, 12. The Pharisee stationed himself. 
The publican stood (iorwg, active) ; the Pharisee 
stationed himself (oracpelg, passive, with middle 
signification). There is no significance in the 
mere fact that the Pharisee stood, for standing 
was a common attitude of prayer among the 

JeWS (l • Kings 8 : 22 ; 2 Chron. 6:12; Mark 11 : 25) ; but 

tnere is a significance, not recognized in our 
English version, in the phraseology employed to 
indicate the attitude of the Pharisee and the 
publican. The Pharisee "took his stand, plant- 
ed and put himself in a prominent attitude of 
prayer ; so that all eyes might light on him, all 
might take note that he was engaged in his de- 
votions." — (Trench.) — And prayed thus with 
himself. Even in the prayer of the Pharisee, 
self is the centre of his thoughts. Though in 
form a prayer, his address was really a self-grat- 
ulatory soliloquy.— God, I thank thee that I 
am not as the rest of men. Not merely 
as some other men, but as the rest of mankind, 
mankind in general. Observe that humility 
thanks God that I am what I am (1 Cor. is : 9, 10) ; 
pride thanks God that I am not like other men 
(comp. 2 Cor. io : 12). In the Episcopal Prayer Book, 
this truth is recognized by making this para- 
ble and 1 Cor. 15 : 1-11, the Gospel and Epistle 
for the same Sunday, the eleventh Sunday after 
Trinity. Observe, too, that this Pharisee be- 
lieves in the doctrine of total depravity ; he rates 
other men very low. This doctrine may be, as 
here, one of pride, or, as in Paul's experience, 
one of humility (1 Tim. 1 : 15, 16). — Extortioners, 
unjust, adulterers. A comprehensive cata- 
logue, including all flagrant transgressions, both 
against others and against self ; but there is no 
recognition of that spirituality of the law ex- 
pounded by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount 

(Matt. 5 : 20-48 ; comp. 1 Tim. 1 : 5), and of which all 

Pharisaism is a perpetual violation. — I fast 
twice in the week, I give tithes of all that 
I possess. His boast covers the two points of 



religious service and of benevolence. In both 
he claims to do more than the law requires. The 
Mosaic law provided for only one fast in the 
year, the great Day of Atonement (Lev. 16 : 29 ; 
Numb. 29 : 7). The Jews added a. number of annual 
fasts and two weekly fasts, viz., on the fifth day, 
because Moses on that day went up Sinai, and 
the second, because on that day he came down. 
The Christian sects in the East still maintain a 
fast twice a week throughout the whole year, 
but content themselves with abstinence from 
meat and the products of the diary. Tithes of 
all produce, including flocks and cattle, were re- 
quired by the law to be given to the Levite (Lev. 
27 : 30 ) ; this Pharisee said that he gave tithes of 
all that came into his possession, whether agri- 
cultural products or not. The modern equiva- 
lent of this boast would be the claim to be re- 
gular in attendance on Christian ordinances and 
a liberal contributor to the recognized Christian 
charities. But the ancient, like the modern 
Pharisee, claims only a legal righteousness, i. e., 
that he has done all that is required of him, and 
even more. Of that love, without which so- 
called acts of charity and religion are vain (1 Cor. 
13 : 1-3), he is entirely oblivious. Contrast the 
"boasting" of Paul, 1 Cor. 4 : 11-16; 9 :27; 
15 : 9, 10 • 2 Cor. 11 : 9-17 ; Gal. 2 : 20. 

13. And the publican standing afar off. 
Not merely far from the Pharisee, but remote 
from the other worshippers, partly from a sense 
of his own unworthiness and partly from a desire 
to be apart from the crowd and alone with God. 
Would not lift up so much as his eyes unto 
heaven. In contrast with the Pharisee whose 
gestures doubtless testified to the people his de- 
votions (Matt. 6:5). — But smote upon his 
breast. Various emblematic meanings have 
been attributed to this action, as that he thus in- 
dicated the death-stroke which sin merits from 
God (Oodet), the pain experienced in his own 
conscience (Bengel), the punishment which he 
would himself inflict on sin in his own heart 
(Augustine). The true significance of the action 
is indicated by the fact, that smiting upon the 
breast was a common gesture for the expression 
of great grief and shame (Luke 23 : 48). — God be 
merciful to me the sinner. There is a sig- 
nificance in the definite article, which is lost in 
our English version. Comp. 1 Tim. 1 : 15. It 
does not indicate a comparison with others, and 



Oh. XVIIL] 



LUKE. 



115 



would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, 
they rebuked them. 

16 But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer 
littfe children to come unto me, and forbid them not : 
for of such is the kingdom of God. 

17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not re- 
ceive the kingdom of God as a little child/ shall in no 
wise enter therein. 

18 And e a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good 
Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life ? 

19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me 
good ? none is good save one, that is, God. 

20 Thou knowest the f commandments, Do not com- 
mit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear 
false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 

21 And he said, All these have I kept from my 
youth up. 

22 Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto 
him, Yet lackest thou one thing : sell all that thou 
hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have 
treasure s in heaven : and come, follow me. 

23 And when he heard this, he was very sorrow- 
ful : for he was very rich. 

24 And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, 
he said, How h hardly shall they that have riches enter 
into the kingdom of God ! 

25 For it is easier for a camel to go through a nee- 



dle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the king- 
dom of God. 

26 And they that heard it said, Who then can be 
saved ? 

27 And he said, The 1 things which are impossible 
with men, are possible with God. 

28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all, and fol- 
lowed thee. 

29 And he said unto them. Verily I say unto you, 
There is no man that hath J left house, or parents, or 
brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's 
sake, 

30 Who shall not receive manifold more in this pres- 
ent time, and in the world to come life k everlasting. 

31 Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto 
them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and 1 all things 
that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of 
man shall be accomplished. 

32 For he shall be delivered m unto the Gentiles, and 
shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted 
on: 

33 And they shall scourge him, and put him to 
death : and the third day he shall rise again. 

34 And n they understood none of these things : and 
this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the 
things which were spoken. 

35 And it° came to pass, that as he was come nigh 



d Ps. 131 : 2 ; Mark 10:15; 1 Pet. 1 : 14. . . .e Matt. 19 : 16, etc. 
g Matt. 6 : 19, -20 ; 1 Tim. 6:19... .h Prov. 11 : 28 ; 1 Tim. 6 : 9. 
1 Ps. 22 ; Isa. 53. . . .m ch. 23 : 1 ; Matt. 27 : 2 ; John 18 : 28 ; 
10 : 46, etc. 



; Mark 10:17, etc. . . .f Exod. 20:12-16; 
. . .i ch. 1 : 37 ; Jer. 32 : 17 ; Zeoh. 8:6.... 
Acts 3 : 13 n Mark 9 : 32 ; John 12 : 



Dent. 5:16-20; Rom. 13 : 9 

j Deut. 33 : 9 k Rev. 2 : 10 

6 o Matt. 20:29, etc.; Mark 



a thought of himself as the sinner above all 
others, but, rather, that "he is thinking of none 
but himself." — {Bengel.) 

14. This man went down to his house 
justified rather than the other. It is evi- 
dent, that justified here does not mean made just, 
but absolved from sin. Mo change in the charac- 
ter of the publican is indicated, only a change in 
his relations to God. Thus this parable throws 
no small light on the theological controversy be- 
tween Komanism and Protestanism ; the one 
makes a new character the ground of divine 
favor ; the other makes the divine favor the 
ground of a new character. Pharisee and publi- 
can had each received his reward (Matt. 6:1,2); 
one the praise of men and the gratulations of his 
own pride, the other pardon from his Father in 
heaven, and the peace which pardon brings. — 
Every one that exalteth himself shall be 
abased, etc. Christ, in this parable, affords a 
spiritual interpretation to the parable in ch. 
14 : 7-11. 

15-17. Christ Blesses Little Children. — 
Comp. Matt. 19 : 13-15 ; Mark 10 : 13-16. See 
notes on Matthew. The words of our Lord are 
verbatim, as in Mark. From this point the narra- 
tive again harmonizes with those of Matthew and 
Mark, after a divergence from ch. 9 : 51. The 
word infants (JQ&pog), peculiar to Luke, shows 
clearly that children are referred to, who were 
too young to receive instruction and to be 
brought into the kingdom by an intelligent com- 
prehension of the truth. Comp. Luke 2 : 12, 16 ; 
Acts 7 : 19 ; 2 Tim. 3 : 15 ; 1 Pet. 2 : 2 ; in all of 
which cases the Greek word is the same. 

18-30. The Rich Young Ruler. — Comp. 



Matt. 19 : 16-30 ; Mark 10 : 17-31. See notes on 
Matthew. Luke alone describes this young man 
as a "ruler," i. e., probably a ruler of a syna- 
gogue. For description of this officer, see note 
on Matt. 4 : 23. 

31-34. Prophecy of Christ's Passion and 
Resurrection.— Matt. 20 : 17-19 ; Mark 10 : 32-34. 
See notes on Mark. The declaration here, All 
tilings that are written by the prophets concerning 
the Son of man (i. e., the Messiah, see Matt. 10 : 23, 
note) shall be accomplished, is peculiar to Luke. 
The following are among the prophecies referred 
to : Psalm 16 : 10 ; 22 : 7, 8, 16, 18 ; 49 : 15 ; 
Isaiah 53 : 1-9 ; Dan. 9 : 26. The declaration of 
ver. 34 is also peculiar to Luke. How far the dis- 
ciples were from understanding the Passion, 
clearly as it was foretold, is evident from the 
ambitious request of James and John, which im- 
mediately followed the prophecy (Mark 10 : 35-45). 
The reason why they did not understand is indi- 
cated: "The saying was hid from them," a 
declaration interpreted in part by John 14 : 29, 
in part by 1 Cor. 2 : 7, 10. The object of pro- 
phecy is not to reveal to the present age future 
events ; this the plainest prophecies never have 
done ; but to afford a testimony to the truth of 
divine revelation, after their fulfillment. See 
Mark 9 : 30-32, notes. 

Ch. 18 : 35-43. THE HEALING OF A BLIND MAN. A 

PARABLE OF REDEMPTION. 

The account of this miracle is given by the 
three Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, 
but with some notable variations. Those 
which are merely verbal, are given below. Two 
other variations are of considerable impor- 
tance. Matthew and Mark represent it as per- 



116 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XVIII. 



unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side, 
begging : 

^6 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked 
what it meant. 



37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth 



by 

38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, 
have mercy p on me. 



son of David, 



p Ps. 62 : 12. 



formed on Christ's departure from, Luke on 
Christ's approach to Jericho. Matthew says 
that there were two blind men; Mark and 
Luke represent but one. Various attempts have 
been made to reconcile these differences, as by 
supposing that Christ healed two blind men, one 
on his approach, the other on his departure, and 
that Matthew has combined the two acts in one 
account. The variation however presents no 
difficulty except to those who maintain a doc- 
trine of verbal inspiration, for which the Scrip- 
ture itself gives no warrant. They are just such 
as are of the most common occurrence in history, 
and confirm, instead of throwing doubt over the 
substantial truth of the narrative. As Matthew 
was probably an eye-witness, since the apostles 
apparently accompanied their Lord on this jour- 
ney, and Mark and Luke derived their infor- 
mation from others, it is probable that there 
were two blind men, and that the cure was per- 
formed on the exit from, not on the entrance 
into, Jericho. 

35-37. He was come nigh unto Jericho. 
In order to harmonize Luke's account with those 
of Matthew and Mark, it has been proposed to 
read this, He was near Jericho ; but this is cer- 
tainly a forced, even if it be a possible construc- 
tion of the original, and comparing this verse 
with ch. 19 : 1, it is evident that the writer sup- 
posed that the miracle was wrought by Jesus on 
approaching the city. Jericho was situated in 



the valley of the Jordan, opposite the point 
where Joshua crossed that river on entering the 
Holy Land. It was about fifteen miles northeast 
of Jerusalem and about seven from the river. 
The environs were well watered and rich, and 
the city was famous for its palm trees and its 
balsam. Its position made it strategically the 
key to the entrance of the Holy Land. After its 
destruction by Joshua (josh., ch. 6) its rebuilding 
was prohibited, under a curse (josh. 6 : 26), which 
was incurred in the days of King Ahab, by Hiel 
the Bethelite (1 Kings 16 : 34), who refortified it, but 
apparently did not literally rebuild it, since it had 
been an inhabited city prior to his time (judg. 3-13 ; 
2 Sam. 10 : 5). It subsequently became the site of a 
school of the prophets, presided over by Elisha 
(2 Kings 2 : 1-22), who sweetened the waters of 
the before unpalatable spring in the immediate 
vicinity. On its plains Zedekiah fell into the 
hands of the Chaldeans (jer. 39 : 5 ; 52 .- s) ; three 
hundred and forty-five of its inhabitants are 
mentioned in the return from Babylon under 
Zerubbabel (Ezra 2 : 34 ; Ken. 3:2; 7 : 36). Its revenues 
were given by Anthony to Cleopatra, and were 
redeemed by Herod the Great, who rebuilt and 
ornamented it, and even founded a new town 
higher up on the plain than the old site. It was 
plundered and the palace destroyed by a slave of 
Herod, but was rebuilt again by Archelaus, who 
again planted the plains with palm trees. It was 
naturally on Christ's route in passing from Perea 




VIEW OF THE SITE OF JEBIOHO. 




JESUS GIVING SIGHT 

l j2s Jesus passed by he saw a 



man which was blind from his birth." 



Oh. XVIII.] 



LUKE. 



117 



39 And they which went before rebuked him, that 
he should hold his peace : but he cried "> so much the 
more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. 

40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be 
brought unto him : and when he was come near, he 
asked him, 



q Ps. 141 : 1 



41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee ? 
And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. 

42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight : thy r 
faith hath saved thee. 

43 And immediately he received 3 his sight, and fol- 
lowed him, glorifying l God : and all the people, when 
they saw it, gave praise unto God. 



Acts 4 : 21 : 11 : 18 : Gal. 



to Jerusalem. Its proximity to Jerusalem made 
it a favorite residence of the priests when re- 
leased from the services of the temple ; and its 
commercial importance made it a headquarters of 
the publicans or tax-gatherers. The site of the 
Jericho of the N. T. is believed to have been 
nearer the mountain called Quarantana than the 
one now occupied by the modern village. The 
accompanying illustration is from a sketch 
by Mr. A. L. Rawson. — A certain blind 



man sat by the wayside begging 



Both 



beggary and blindness are much more common 
in the East than with us ; the former, owing to 
unjust taxation, uneven distribution of wealth, 
and the total absence of public and systematized 
charities ; the latter, owing to lack of cleanli- 
ness, and to exposure to an almost tropical sun, 
and to burning sands. The duty of charity to the 
blind was especially enjoined by the Mosaic law 
(Lev. 19 : 14 ; Deut. 27 : is). There is nothing in either 
Evangelist to indicate the nature of the blindness 
in this case. The beggar's name is given by 
Mark, Bartimceus. The accompanying illustra- 
tion of an Eastern beggar, is from an original 
sketch by Mr. A. L. Rawson, drawn from life.— 




AN EASTEEN BEGGAR. 

Jesns the Nazarene is coming by. Evi- 
dently the fame of the Nazarene had reached 
Judea ; the name and epithet were sufficient to 
characterize him, even to this blind beggar. 



38, 39. Jesus, Son of David, have 
mercy on me. This appeal involves a recog- 
nition of Christ's Messianic character. The 
phrase, " Son of David," was a common Judaic 
appellation of the expected Messiah (Matt. 22 : 42). 
It was a Jewish belief that one of the evidences 
of the Messiah would be his power to open the 
eyes of the blind ; it was claimed, perhaps from 
such passages as Isaiah 29 : 18 ; 42 : 7, and was 
certainly confirmed by the cures of the blind 
which Christ had already wrought, both in Gali- 
lee and in Judea (Matt. 9 : 27-31 ; Mark 8 : 22-26 ; John 

9 : 1-39). — They which went before. Accom- 
panying and preceding Christ. — Rebuked him. 

Not because he called Jesus the Son of David, 
but because he presumed to intrude a private 
grief upon the King of Israel, when, as they sup- 
posed, he was going in triumph to Jerusalem, to 
assume his throne and deliver the nation (ch. 
19 : 11). The spirit of this rebuke was precisely 
the same as that of Matt. 19 : 13. — He so much 
the more. From the ministers and would-be 
representatives of Christ, the blind man appeals 
directly to Christ himself. 

40, 41. Commanded him to be led to 
him. Mark says commanded him to be called. He 
adds, also, as a significant indication of the change 
in popular feeling wrought by Christ's simple 
direction, that those who had before rebuked 
the blind man, now said to him, Cheer up, rise, he 
calls thee (9-uooei, aysios, ipwvzi os). The call of 
Christ is always full of cheer ; always, too, a call 
to do something as a token of trust in him. Obe- 
dience is the only recognized confession of faith. 
— And when he was come near. He cast off 
his garment, i. e., his outer mantle or shawl, not 
stopping to wrap it about him ; an indication of 
his eagerness and haste. 

42, 43. Receive thy sight. According to 
Matthew, Christ touched the eyes of both blind 
men. — Thy faith hath saved thee. In the 
way in which faith always saves, by making him 
that exercises it a willing recipient of salvation 
from the Saviour. 

The commentators in all ages have seen in this 
a remarkable enacted parable of redemption. 
The blind man represents the sinner, who, with- 
out faith, is without the evidence of things un- 
seen (Heb. 11 : 1) ; yet in his darkness he can at 
least dimly discern the evidences of the ap- 
proach of One who gives life and light ; he calls, 



118 



CHAPTER XIX. 



AND Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 11 
2 And, behold, there -was a man named Zacchse- 
us, which was the chief among the publicans, and he 
was rich. 



LUKE. [Oh. XIX. 

3 And he sought to see Jesus, who he was; and 
could not for the press, because he was little of stature. 

4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a syca- 
more tree to see him : for he was to pass that way. 

5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, 
and saw v him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make 



1 Kings 16 : 34 v Ps. 139 : 1-3. 



appealing for mercy to Jesus, i. e., Saviour, and 
the Son of David, that is, the Great King ; his 
cry, though not always at first answered, is 
heard, and he is called in turn, and receives his 
sight, without fee, reward, or condition of any 
kind, as the unpurchased and unpurchasable gift 
of God's love. The incident affords also a kind 
of parabolic illustration of the reconciliation of 
free-will and free-grace ; the blind man both calls 
and is called, elects and is elected. It also illus- 
trates the peculiar grace of Jesus Christ, who 
thinks it not unworthy nor inappropriate to turn 
aside from the march to his triumphant passion 
and death, in order to hear the cry and heal the 
infirmity of a blind beggar. 



Ch. 19 : 1-10. THE CALL AND CONVERSION OF ZAC- 
CHEUS. Genuine repentance illustrated: it in- 
volves CONFESSION, REPARATION, AND A NEW LIFE. 

To get the full meaning of this incident the 
reader must remember the twofold character of 
Jericho. It was a city of both priests and pub- 
licans. About fifteen miles northeast of Jerusa- 
lem, it was a favorite retreat of the priests when 
not actually engaged in the temple services. Its 
palm and balsam were thought by Anthony a 
present worthy of being conferred on his royal 
mistress, Cleopatra ; it was the site of one of the 
palaces of King Herod ; and being the centre of 
the Judean valley, whose fertility the frosts of 
winter never checked, it was a headquarters of 
the tax-gatherers. Thus religion and commerce 
met here without mingling ; and Christ in choos- 
ing the house of Zaccheus for his resting-place, 
passed by the houses of the rabbis and priests of 
Judaism ; and this on a journey to the capital 
where, as all his followers believed, he was about 
to establish the theocracy (ver. 11). It is not 
strange that "they all murmured." Of the lan- 
guage of Zaccheus there are two constructions ; 
either is grammatically tenable. Godet regards 
it as the language of self -justification ; supposes 
that Zaccheus tells Christ what he is accustomed 
to do, in answer to the charge that he is a sinner. 
The other view regards it as the language of con- 
fession and promised reformation. This view is 
more generally adopted by the commentators, 
and is, I have no doubt, the correct one. See 
notes below. 

1,2. And passed through Jericho. For 
history and description of Jericho, see ch. 18 : 35. 
— A man named Zaccheus. The word 



means pure; its etymology indicates that he was of 
Jewish extraction ; it appears among the lists of 
the families who came with Zerubbabel from 
Babylon at the time of the Restoration (Neh. 7 : 14). 
— Was a chief among the publicans 
(uqyitslmric). Probably a provincial agent, who 
had the general supervision of the publicans of 
the province. — And he was rich. It almost 
necessarily follows that he must have been ex- 
tortionate and a def rauder. For account of pub- 
licans, see note on Matt. 9 : 10, 11. 

3, 4. He sought to see Jesus, who he 
was. What sort of a person. Zaccheus had 
heard the fame of Jesus, and was impelled by 
curiosity to see what sort of a man he might be. 
— And he ran before. He first went out and 
mingled with the crowd ; but such crowds are 
rarely reverential to great men ; they even 
especially delight in elbowing away the mere 
man of wealth, whose riches are accompanied by 
unpopularity. Unable to get a sight of Jesus in 
the crowd, Zaccheus runs before it and climbs a 
tree, in order to accomplish his purpose. This 
resoluteness indicates that there was dormant 
much desire mingled with his curiosity. — A 
sycamore tree. Not the sycamore tree of this 




A SYCAMORE TREE. 



country, which is a maple, but the Egyptian fig. 
It flourishes in the plains and valleys, has low, 




ZACCHEUS INVITED. 

" JZaccheus, make haste and come down ; for to-day I must abide 
at thy house." 



Ch. XIX.] 



LUKE. 



119 



haste, and come down ; for to-day I must abide w at 
thy house. 

6 And he made haste, and came down, and received 
him joyfully. 

7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, say- 
ing, That* he was gone to be guest with a man that is 
a sinner. 

8 And Zacchseus stood, and said unto the Lord, Be- 



hold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor : r 
and it I have taken any thing from any man by z false 
accusation, I restore a him fourfold. 

9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation 
come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son b of 
Abraham. 

io For c the Son of man is come to seek and to save 
that which was lost. d 



w John 14 : 23 ; Rev. 3 : 20. 



.x ch. 5: 30, Matt. 9 : 11. ...y Ps. 41 : 1. ...z ch. 3 : 14 ; Exod. 20 ■ 16.... a Exod. 22 : 1 ; 2 Sam. 12: 6.. 
b ch. 13 : 16. . . .c Matt. 18 : 11 . . .d Ezek. 34 : 16 ; Rom. 5 : 6. 



wide-spreading horizontal branches, and so is 
easy of ascent. 
5-7. And said unto him. Zaccheus. 

Jesus may have caught the name from the re- 
marks and the jeers of the crowd ; but there is 
nothing incredible in the belief that he who 
could read the heart of Zaccheus knew his name. 
— Make haste and come down ; for to-day 
I must abide at thy house. The must indi- 
cates, not that this was especially ordained for 
him, but that it was his impelling and compelling 
desire to seek and to save that which is lost. He 
passes by the socially congenial to be the guest 
of the one whom he can redeem. To abide indi- 
cates a purpose to make the house of Zaccheus 
his resting-place while in Jericho, and therefore 
probably for that night. Observe that the 
Saviour invites himself to be the guest of the sin- 
ner ; the story of Zaccheus illustrates the invita- 
tion of Rev. 3 : 30. — They all murmured. A 
loose exoression, indicating a general expression 
of surprise and discontent. Probably neither the 
twelve nor the other publicans joined in this 
murmuring. It was a common complaint against 
Jesus (ch. 5 : 30 ; is : 2), and it is not strange that it 
should have been so. " ' A man's a man for a' 
that, ' the lesson that Jesus taught the Jews in 
Jericho, the world has not yet learned, despite 
the lapse of ages. To eat with social sinners is 
scarcely less pardonable in the ' best society ' of 
Christendom in the nineteenth century than it 
was in that of Judaism in the first. Social de- 
mocracy is the last, as it is the ripest, form of 
democracy." — (Abbott's Jesus of Nazareth.) 

8-10. And Zaccheus standing said. 
Godet sees in this standing " a firm and dignified 
attitude, such as suits a man whose honor is 
attacked;" Alford, an indication of "some 
effort and resolve." The latter conception 
seems to me preferable ; especially if we sup- 
pose that this took place in the house of Zac- 
cheus while Christ was seated, possibly at table 
and in presence of others. — Behold, Lord, the 
half of my goods I will give to the poor. 
The tense is present (ch'Jco^i), but has a future 
signification. The present is used for the future 
in Greek, "when an action, still future, is to 
be designated as good as already present, either 
because it is already firmly resolved upon, or be- 
cause it follows according to some unalterable 



law." — (Winer.) The Greek student will find 
illustrations of this fact in Matt. 26 : 2 ; Luke 
12 : 54 ; John 14 : 3 ; Col. 3 : 6. It is evident that 
Zaccheus cannot be stating here what is his habit, 
for no man can habitually give away half his 
goods ; accordingly Godet, who interprets the 
language of Zaccheus as that of self-justifica- 
tion, understands by half of his goods, "the half 
of his yearly income." The difficulty about this 
rendering is that it does not interpret what Zac- 
cheus said, but puts into his mouth something 
different. The word here rendered goods 
(vnuQ/ovra) is never used in the N. T. as equiv- 
alent to income, but always for possessions. — And 
whatsoever I have taken from any man by 
false accusation I will restore him four- 
fold. This rendering more nearly accords with the 
spirit of the original than our English version ; the 
Greek for if I have taken, does not necessarily in- 
dicate uncertainty. " If (el), with the indicative, 
implies that the condition being true, that which 
results from it is to be regarded as real and cer- 
tain."— (Robinson.) See Matt. 4 : 3, note ; 19 :10. 
It is impossible to suppose that in this sen- 
tence, if at all literally rendered, Zaccheus ex- 
presses a habit of action. A singular evidence of 
virtue would it be that he was accustomed to rob 
by false accusation, and then restore fourfold. 
Godet accordingly supposes that the robbing was 
done by his subordinates, and that perhaps the 
restitution was compelled from the detected 
thief. False accusation was a method of extort- 
ing money commonly practiced by the tax-gath- 
erers of the East. In truth, the system of 
Oriental tax-gathering was and is such that an 
honest collector could not make a living, much 
less amass a fortune. See Vol. I, p. 126. The 
Mosaic law, Num. 5 : 6, 7, requires, when resti- 
tution was voluntary, that a fifth more than the 
sum unjustly taken should be restored. The 
promise of Zaccheus includes much more. When 
he had given half his property to the poor, 
and had restored fourfold of his unjust ex- 
actions, we may fairly assume that he would no 
longer be rich. The evidence of his repentance 
was unmistakable. — This day is salvation 
come to this house. This declaration is re- 
sponsive to that of Zaccheus, and implies that it 
had come in and through his repentance. — For- 
asmuch as he also is a son of Abraham. 






120 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XIX. 



ii And as they heard these things, he added and 
spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, 
and because e they thought that the kingdom of God 
should immediately appear. 

12 He said therefore, A certain f nobleman went into 



a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to 
return. 

13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them 
ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. 

14 Bute his citizens hated him, and sent a message 



e Acts 1 : 6 .... f Matt. 25 : 14, etc. ; Mark 13 : 34 .... g John 1:11; 15 ; 18. 



Not because he is a Jew, for Christ no less than 
John the Baptist, emphatically repudiated the 
notion that salvation belonged to the Jewish race 
or descended by generation ; but because he was 
a Jew inwardly (Rom. 2 : 28, 29 : Gal. 3 : 7). — For the 
Son of man is come to seek and save the 
lost. See ch. 15 : 3-10. Another indication that 
Zaccheus was not before Christ's coming the just 
and generous man which ver. 8 would indicate if 
rendered as in our English version. To the com- 
plaint that Christ was gone to be the guest of a 
sinner, Christ replies that his mission is to seek 
and to save the sinner ; how he does this the 
conversion of Zaccheus illustrates. 

Ch. 19 : 11-27.-PARABLE OF THE TEN POUNDS. The 
kingdom of grod does not immediately appear.— 
Diligence in earthly duty a condition of admis- 
sion TO HEAVENLY GLORY. — NEW TRUSTS THE DIVINE 

reward for fidelity.— using the little aright 
the way to secure more. — the judgment of the 
church; the judgment of the world. — The end 
of the rebellious : death. 

Analogous to this parable is that of the Ten 
Talents in Matt. 25 : 14-30 ; Mark 13 : 34-36. 
The analogy is so marked, that some scholars 
(Calvin, Olshausen, Meyer) have regarded them 
as identical. But the differences appear to me 
very marked. (1.) The time and place of each 
parable are fixed by the narrative ; that of Mat- 
thew being in Jerusalem during the Passion 
week ; that of Luke being as clearly in Jericho, 
at the house of Zaccheus. (2.) The structure of 
the two parables, though analogous, is different. 
In Matthew, a rich man distributed to his ser- 
vants all his goods, the sum total amounting, at 
the lowest estimate, to many thousand dollars ; 
in Luke, a prince going to secure the title to his 
throne from the central government, leaves in 
the hands of a few of his servants a small sum, 
at the largest estimate not exceeding three hun- 
dred dollars, simply as a means of testing their 
fidelity. In Matthew, the talents are distributed 
to each man according to his several ability ; in 
Luke, each servant receives the same, one pound. 
In Matthew, only the servants are introduced ; 
in Luke, public enemies also. (3.) The object of 
the two parables, though analogous, is not iden- 
tical. The primary object of the parable in Mat- 
thew, which is addressed solely to Christ's disci- 
ples, is to teach the necessity of fidelity in the 
church ; incidentally it indicates that along time 
must elapse before the reckoning. The primary 
object of the parable in Luke, which is addressed 



to all the people, is to teach that the kingdom of 
God will not immediately appear ; incidentally it 
teaches how by diligent fidelity the servants of 
God are to prepare for his appearing, and what 
is to be the nature of the reckoning, both with 
them and with those who reject his rule. Go- 
det, Trench, Alford, Lange, Oosterzee, agree in 
regarding the two parables as different. 

11, 12. As they heard these things. 
The time and place of the parable are fixed as 
in the house of Zaccheus, and in immediate con- 
nection with the preceding instructions. — He 
was nigh to Jerusalem. About 15 miles. — 
Because they thought that the kingdom 
of God should immediately appear. 
There was a general expectancy, shared by the 
disciples, strengthened by such events as the 
cure of the blind man and the resurrection of 
Lazarus, that Christ was now on his way to Je- 
rusalem to inaugurate the kingdom of God, by 
making the Jewish nation the master of the 
world and Jerusalem its capital. We must not 
forget that the career of Alexander and of Ju- 
lius Caesar gave a color of probability to this 
expectation of universal dominion. Despite this 
parable, the disciples continued to believe that 
the kingdom would immediately appear ; at 
least, they had no conception of the length of 
the intervening delay. This anticipation was 
strikingly manifested in the triumphal entry into 
Jerusalem (vers. 35-38*). — A certain nobleman. 
One of noble birth ; a fitting type of One who 
was the Son of David, the Son of Abraham, and 
the eternal Son of God. — Went into a far 
country to receive for himself a kingdom, 
and to return. In the Eoman empire it was a 
customary thing for those who had any claim 
to the throne of a tributary kingdom to go up 
to Rome to secure by personal solicitation and 
influence the ratification of their claim. Herod 
the Great thus secured the title and office of 
king ; on his death Archelaus, who later had a 
palace in Jericho, went similarly to the capital 
to obtain from Augustus a ratification of his 
father's will, and was followed by an embassy 
from Judea appointed by the citizens, who, wea- 
ried of the Herodian rule, desired of Augustus 
that their country might be converted into a 
Roman province. It is probable that this his- 
torical fact suggested the groundwork of this 
parable to Jesus. The far country represents 
heaven, as in Matt. 21 : 33 ; 25 : 14 ; Mark 12 : 1 ; 
the figure represents the fact that Christ goes 



Oh. XIX.] 



LUKE. 



121 



after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign 
over us. 

15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, 
having received the kingdom, then he commanded 
these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had 
given the money, that he might know how much every 
man had gained by trading. 

16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound 
hath gained ten pounds. 

17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: 
because thou hast been faithful h in a very little, have 
thou authority over ten cities. 

18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound 
hath gained five pounds. 

19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over 
five cities. 

20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is 
thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin : 



21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere 
man : thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and 
reapest that thou didst not sow. 

22 And he saith unto him, Out 1 of thine own mouth 
will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knew- 
est that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not 
down, and reaping that I did not sow : 

23 Wherefore J then gavest not thou my money into 
the bank, that at my coming I might have required 
mine own with usury ? 

24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from 
him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. 

25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten 
pounds.) 

26 For I say unto you, That k unto every one which 
hath shall be given ; and from him that hath not, even 
that he hath shall be taken away from him. 

27 But those mine enemies, 1 which would not that I 



h ch. 16 : 10 i 2 Sam. 1 : 16 ; Job 15 : 6 ; Matt. 12 : 3' 

Mark 4: 25.... 1 Ps. 2 : 4, 5, 9 



; 22: 12; Rom. 
21 : 8, 9 ; Isa. 6( 



:19....j Rom. 2 : 4, 5. .. .k ch. 8 : 1 
6, 14; Nahum 1 : 2, 8 ; Heb. 10 : 13. 



Matt. 13: 12; 25 : 29 ; 



away to await the consummation of that king- 
dom which he receives from his Father, and to 
return again to enter into possession of it and 
become King of kings and Lord of lords (Rev. 

17 : 14; 19 : 16). 

13, 14. And he called his ten servants. 

Rather, ten of his servants. " Besides that the 
original requires this, it would be absurd to sup- 
pose that, with the immense households of an- 
tiquity, which, as Seneca says, were nations 
rather than families, this nobleman, of conse- 
quence enough to be raised to a royal dignity, 
had but ten servants belonging to him."— 
(Trench.) — Ten pounds. The pound, or mina, 
is variously estimated as equivalent to from $15 
to |30. — Occupy till I come. Rather, Trade 
till I come. The Greek word rendered occupy 
(rtQayuaTsvoucu) signifies literally to be busy ; it is 
the same word which, with an added preposi- 
tion, is rendered in ver. 15 gained by trading. In 
the same sense the word occupy is used in Ezek. 
27 : 9.— But his citizens hated him. These 
citizens represent those who reject the claims of 
Christ to be their King; primarily, the Jews 
(John 19 : is, 2ij Acts 4 : 25-2?) ; secondarily, all those 
who league themselves in direct hostility to 

Christ (2 Thess. 2 : 3, 4 ; Rev. 13 : 1-8). 

15-19. Compare Matt. 25 : 19-23, and notes 
there. (1.) Observe here that it is God's pound 
that has made the ten pounds ; the fruitfulness 
of our work is the gift of divine grace. (2.) In 
God's government promotion depends on fidel- 
ity. This is in a measure true here and now ; 
fulfillment of duty in a lower and lesser station 
is rewarded by the providence which bids to go 
up higher. (3.) Present duties are but trials of 
character ; God gives the pound that he may 
test and see who is worthy of a city. (L) The 
grace given here below, by our use of which we 
are to show ourselves capable of receiving the 
crown above, Jesus calls a very little. "What 
an idea of future glory is given to us by this say- 
ing! "—(£oefcrf.) 



20-23. Compare Matt. 25 : 24-27, notes. The 
bank here answers to the money-changers there. 
It is the broker's table or counter at which he 
sat in the market or public place, and upon 
which he set out the sums of money required 
for transacting his daily business. From the 
fact that this was transacted upon a bench comes 
our word banker ; if he could not meet his lia- 
bilities his bench was broken to pieces, and he 
was prohibited from continuing his business ; 
hence the term "broken bank" (Italian, banco 
rotto) and " bankrupt." Alf ord regards the bank 
here as a type of religious societies, by the aid 
of which the most timid may employ their Lord's 
money. 

24-26. Them that stood by. Comp. 
Matt. 25 : 28-30. Perhaps, as Trench supposes, 
a type of the angels who are represented as tak- 
ing a part in the final judgment (Dan. 7 : 10 ; Matt. 

13 : 41 ; 16 : 27 ; 24 : 31 ; 2 Thess. 1:7; Jude 14). — Give it 

to him that hath ten pounds. "The holy 
works which he might have wrought here be- 
low, along with the powers by which he might 
have accomplished them, are committed to that 
servant who has shown himself the most active. 
This or that pagan population, for example, 
which might have been evangelized by the young 
Christian who remained on the earth the slave 
of selfish ease, shall be committed in the future 
dispensation to the devoted missionary who has 
used his powers in the service of Jesus." — (Go- 
det.) — Lord, he hath ten pounds. The lan- 
guage of remonstrance ; he has ten pounds al- 
ready, why give him more ? — Unto every one 
which hath shall be given, etc. Every at- 
tainment of honor, wealth, knowledge, or spirit- 
ual grace helps to render further attainment 
more easy and more assured ; while it is spirit- 
ually as well as materially true that "the de- 
struction of the poor is their poverty " (Prov. 10 : 15). 
In ch. 8 : 18 Christ says "that which he seemi 
eth to have" shall be taken away. The gift, 
whether of knowledge, money, or grace, which 



122 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XIX. 



should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them 
before me. 

28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, 
ascending up to Jerusalem. 

29 And m it came to pass, when he was come nigh to 
Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the 
mount ot Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 

30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; 
in the which, at your entering, ye shall find a colt tied, 
whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring 
him kither. 

31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him ? 



thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath 
need" of him. 

32 And they that were sent went their way, and 
found even as he had said unto them. 

33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners 
thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt ? 

34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 

35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast 
their garments upon the colt, and they setP Jesus 
thereon. 

36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the 
way. 



m Matt. 21 : 1, etc. ; Mark 11 : 1, etc. 



s. 50 : 10 2 Kings 9 : 13 p John 12 : 14. 



a man does not use, he does not really have. Un- 
used possession is only a seeming possession. In 
ch. 25 : 30 the unprofitable servant is cast out 
into outer darkness ; here, in being deprived of 
all that he hath, which includes the light of di- 
vine grace, the same sentence is really implied. 

27. But those mine enemies * * * 
bring hither and slay them before me. 
In this parable the trial of the church precedes 
the trial of the world. Comp. 1 Pet. 4 : 18. 
There is in this, perhaps, a hint of the first and 
second resurrections (Rev. 20 : 5, 6). But in the 
marriage of the king's son (Matt. 22 : 7-13) the pun- 
ishment of the open enemies precedes that of the 
guest without a wedding garment. The slaying 
of the enemies in the presence of the king is in 
accordance with the custom of the Eastern 

COUrtS (l Sam. 11 : 12 ; 15 : 32, 33 ; Jer. 52 : 10). Found in 

the teachings of Christ, it possesses a peculiarly 
solemn significance, and seems to import the 
terrible punishment and perhaps the literal de- 
struction of the enemies of G od (Matt. 13 : 49, so ; 

Ul : 44 ; 25 : 30, 46 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 8-10). 

Ch. 19 : 28-48. TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSA- 
LEM. Christ a king.— Religious enthusiasm ap- 
proved.— The SYMPATHY OF CHRIST FOR SINNERS. — 

The rejection of Christ the great sin.— The pun- 
ishment THEREOF : DESTRUCTION. 

The account of this public and triumphal en- 
try into Jerusalem is given by all four Evan- 
gelists, but by John only briefly. The account 
is, on the whole, fullest and most graphic here. 
There are, however, particulars mentioned by 
the other Evangelists, which are omitted by 
Luke. John refers to some that came forth 
from Jerusalem to meet Jesus (John 12 : 13) ; Mat- 
thew to the children of the temple who joined 
in the acclamations (Matt. 21 .- 15, 16). On the other 
hand, Luke alone records the interposition of the 
Pharisees, Christ's reply (vers. 39,40), and Christ's la- 
ment over the city and prophecy of its destruction 
(vers. 41^4). The cleansing of the temple mention- 
ed here and in Matthew as though it occurred 
on the first day of Christ's entrance into Jerusalem 
is distinctly 6tated by Mark to have occurred on 
the following day. I believe the order in Mark, 
who is more explicit than either of the other 



Evangelists, to be the correct one. See Mark 
11 : 11, note. The significance of this entry into 
Jerusalem has been too little considered. It was 
Christ's nature to shun crowds ; his custom to 
avoid them. He forbade his disciples from dis- 
closing to others that he was the Messiah, and 
this prohibition was repeatedly given (Matt. 16 : 20 ; 

17 : 9 ; Mark 3:12; 5 : 43 ; 6 : 36, etc.). This exceptional 

assumption of dignity and acceptance of homage 
is for this reason the more remarkable and sig- 
nificant. I believe it to be an emphasis of the 
truth that he was a King, and came as King ; 
that it throws forth into prominence a truth re- 
specting him often forgotten, namely, that he is 
Lord and Master as well as Saviour, crowned 
with authority as well as with humility and love. 
This triumphal entry took place at this time in 
Jerusalem, not in Galilee, because he would 
have a public testimony to the fact that it was 
their King the Jews crucified. It is not merely 
the Messiah that saves, nor the crucified One 
that saves, but the Messiah crucified (1 Cor. 1 : 23). 
The fact that this incident is attested by all of 
the Evangelists is important. For those who 
give any historical credence to these narratives 
cannot, in the light of this event, believe that 
the Messianic character was invented and im- 
puted to Jesus by a later reverential imagina- 
tion. It was claimed by himself. 

28-30. Ascending up to Jerusalem. 
Ascending because Jericho was over 3,000 feet 
lower than Jerusalem. See ch. 10 : 30, note. — 
Bethphage and Bethany. The language is 
the same in Mark. Bethany was a suburb of Jeru- 
salem, about two miles from that city, on the 
eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, near the 
place where the road to Jericho descends steeply 
to the Jordan valley. It was the home of Mary 
and Martha. See John 11 : 1, note. But where 
was Bethphage? No such village is mentioned 
elsewhere in the Bible ; tradition is silent ; the 
references in the Talmud indicate only a locality 
near Jerusalem. It is generally assumed to have 
been a village near Bethany ; but Godet, follow- 
ing Lightfoot, supposes it to have been a dis- 
trict, in which Bethany was situated. The 
meaning of the word is house of figs.— Two of 
his disciples. Their names are not given. An 



Ch. XIX.] 



LUKE. 



X23 



37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the 
descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude 
of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a 
loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seen ; 

38 Saying, Blessed 1 be the King that cometh in the 
name of the Lord ; r peace in heaven, and glory in the 
highest. 

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the mul- 
titude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you, 
that, if these should hold their peace, the 8 stones would 
immediately cry out. 



41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, 
and wept ' over it, 

42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least 
in this thy day, u the things -which belong unto thy 
peace ! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 

43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine 
enemies shall cast v a trench about thee, and compass 
thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 

44 And w shall lay thee even with the ground, and 
thy children within thee ; and they x shall not leave in 
thee one stone upon another ; because y thou knewest 
not the time of thy visitation. 



q ch. 13: 35; Pa. 118 : 26.... r ch. 2 : 14 ; Rom. 5:1; Ephes. 2 : 14.... s Hab. 2 : 11 ; Matt. 3 : 9....t Ps 
John 11 : 35.... u Ps. 95 : 7, 8; Heb. 3 : 7,13, 15.... v Isa. 29 : 2, 3; Jer. 6:5, 6....W ch. 13: 34, 
Matt. 23 : 37, 38. . . .x Matt. 24 : 2 ; Mark 13 : 2. . . .y Lam. 1 : 8 ; 1 Pet. 2 : 12. 



136 ; Jer. 
1 Kings 9 



1 ; 13 : 17; 17 : 16; 
7,8; Micah 3: 12; 



analogous commission, to prepare the passover, 
was given to Peter and John (ch. 22:8). — The vil- 
lage over against you. Either Bethany or 
Bethphage. The direction was given just before 
reaching the village. — Ye shall find a colt 
tied. The colt of an ass ; the ass was with the 
colt (Matt. 21 : 2). According to Matthew it was 
the ass that was tied. — Whereon yet never 
man sat. Beasts that had not been worked 
were used for sacred purposes (Numb. 19 ; 2 ; Deut. 
21 : 3; 1 Sam. 6 : 7). Hence the significance of this 
command to bring such a colt for Christ's entry 
into the holy city. 

31-34. The Lord hath need of him. The 
Lord here may be either equivalent to Jehovah, 
or to Jesus Christ, the recognized Lord of all his 
disciples. In the former case, the language is 
equivalent to, He is needed for the service of 
God ; we shall then understand that the owner 
was simply a godly man, and that, acting under 
a divine impulse, he allowed these strangers to 
take his animal for a service of God, the nature 
of which he did not understand. If we give the 
latter interpretation, we must assume that the 
owner of the ass and colt was a disciple of Jesus 
Christ, and that he recognized in this reply a 
message from his Lord, and yielded to it. This 
seems to me the more probable hypothesis. In 
either case the moral lesson is the same ; who- 
ever brings the message, The Lord hath need, we 
are to respond, if satisfied that it comes from 
him. — And found even as he had said unto 
them. Mark gives some particulars as to the 
place. See Mark 11 : 4, note. 

35, 36. Combining the four accounts we get 
the following features: Some took off their 
outer garment, the burnoose, and bound it on the 
colt as a kind of saddle ; others cast their garments 
in the way, a mark of honor to a king (2 Kings 9 : 13) ; 
others climbed the trees, cut down the branches, 
and strewed them in the way (Matt. 21:8); others 
gathered leaves, and twigs, and rushes (Mark 11 : 8, 
note). This procession was made up largely of 
Galileans, but the reputation of Christ, increased 
by the resurrection of Lazarus, had preceded 
him, and many came out from the city to swell 
the acclamations and increase the enthusiasm 



(joim 12 : 13). Matthew adds that all this was in 

fulfillment Of prophecy (Matt. 21 : 4, 5 ; comp. Zech. 
9:9). 

37, 38. At the descent of the Mount of 
Olives. That is, at the apex of the hill, and as 
they began to descend on the western slope, 
looking toward Jerusalem. " From this elevated 
point, three hundred feet above the terrace of 
the temple, which was itself raised about one 
hundred and forty feet above the level of the 
valley of the Cedron, an extensive view was had 
of the city and the whole plain which it com- 
mands, especially of the temple, which rose op- 
posite, immediately above the valley. All these 
hearts recall at this moment the miracles which 
have distinguished the career of this extraordi- 
nary man ; they are aware that at the point to 
which things have come his entry into Jerusalem 
cannot fail to issue in a decisive revolution, al- 
though they form an utterly false idea of that 
catastrophe." — (Godet.)— Saying, Blessed be 
the King. They quote from Psalm 118 : 25, 26, 
a part of the great Hallel which was chanted at 
the Paschal feast. — That cometh in the name 
of the Lord. That is, as the representative of 
Jehovah. — Peace in heaven . The Divine King 
comes to proclaim peace in heaven toward those 
that are on earth, reconciling all things unto God 

by himself (2 Cor. 5 : 20 ; Col. 1 : 20). 

39, 40. Master, rebuke thy disciples. 

The natural representatives of these Pharisees in 
the present are to be found among those who re- 
buke all religious enthusiasm. Observe, too, that 
the contrast is here clearly drawn between those 
who render homage to Christ as the representative 
of God on the earth, and those who condemn it as 
unseemly, and that Christ not only receives the 
homage, but rebukes the refusal to give it.— 
The stones would immediately cry out. 
"The prophet Habakkuk had six hundred and 
fifty years before, foretold the day when the 
stones should cry out of the wall, and the beam 
out of the timber should answer it (Hab. 2 : 11). 
Possibly Jesus referred to this prophecy, and to 
the hour of its fulfillment, when, because Jeru- 
salem had no songs of welcome for its Lord, the 
stones of its falling towers, and walls, and temple 



124 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XX. 






45 And z he went into the temple, and began to cast 
out them that sold therein, and them that bought ; 

46 Saying unto them, It is a written, My house is the 
house of prayer : but ye have made it a den b of thieves. 

47 And he taught c daily in the temple. But the 
chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people 
sought to destroy him, 

48 And could not find what they might do : for all 
the people were very attentive to hear him. 

CHAPTER XX. 

AND d it came to pass, that on one of those days, as 
he taught the people in the temple, and preached 
the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon 
him, with the elders, 

2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by e what 
authority doest thou these things ? or who is he that 
gave thee this authority ? 



3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also 
ask you one thing ; and answer me : 

4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of 
men? 

5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we 
shall say, From heaven ; he will say, Why then be- 
lieved ye him not ? 

6 But and if we say, Of men ; all the people will 
stone us: for f they be persuaded that John was a 
prophet. 

7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence 
it was. 

8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by 
what authority I do these things. 

9 Then began he to speak to the people this para- 
ble: As certain man planted a vineyard, h and let it 
forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for 
a long time. 

10 And at the season, he sent a servant to the hus- 



12, 13. . . .a Isa. 56 : 7. . . .b Jer. 7 : 11 ... .c John 18 
f Matt. 14 : 5 s Matt. 21 : 33, etc. : 



20. . . .d Matt. 21 ; 23, etc. ; Mark 11 : 27, etc. 
Mark 12 : 1, etc h Cant. 8 : 11, 12 ; Isa. 5 : 



.e Acts 4: 7-10: 7:27.... 



courts, cried out in wrathful tones the judg- 
ments of God against her." — (Abbott's Jesus of 
Nazareth.) 

41-44. This lament over Jerusalem is re- 
ported alone by Luke. The present hour of 
triumph affords Jesus no personal exultation. 
He thinks only, with infinite compassion, of the 
impending destruction of Jerusalem, and the 
sorrow that will overwhelm those who rejected 
and crucified him. The prophecy of that de- 
struction is so minute and exact, that some skep- 
tical writers have insisted that the language must 
have been written subsequent to the event. — He 
wept over it. The original (y.lalu) implies not 
merely the shedding of tears, but other external 
expressions of grief ; a deep sorrow, expressed 
by sobbings rather than silent tears, is indicated. 
Twice Jesus is said to have wept ; once at the 
grave of Lazarus (John n : 35), once at the thought 
of Jerusalem's tragic end ; both times they were 
tears of sympathy for others' woes. Unselfish 
tears are not unmanly. — If thou hadst known. 
Christ repeated his warning of the impending 
doom in his instructions during the succeeding 
days in the temple (Matt. 21 : 42-44; 23 : 33-39), but the 
city would not hear. —Even thou, yea even in 
this thy day. Thy day of mercy. It was not 
yet too late for Jerusalem to repent and to seek 
in righteousness what would make for peace. 
The lament is like that of Christ over every soul 
which is willfully indifferent to the cravings of di- 
vine love, and will not know the things that make 
for its peace. — The things which (tend) unto 
thy peace. Tend rather than belong ; that is, 
the course of conduct which would secure peace. 
There may be a reference here to the name of 
the city which signifies, Foundation of peace. — 
That thy enemies shall cast a trench 
about thee. Eather, a mound. The original 
(juquI) signifies a military rampart around a camp 
or a besieged city, formed of the earth thrown 
out of a trench, and stuck with sharp stakes or 
palisades. Titus, in the siege of Jerusalem, pro- 



ceeded by regular approaches, throwing up earth- 
works. A rampart, such as is here described, 
was constructed, destroyed in a sally, and re- 
placed by a wall. — And compass thee round. 
He entirely encircled the city, making escape, 
after his lines were once complete, impossible. — 
Shall not leave in thee one stone upon 
another. For illustration of the completeness 
of the destruction, see ch. 21 : 6, note and illus- 
tration. For description of the siege and its hor- 
rors, see Matt., ch. 24, Prel. Note. — Because 
thou knewest not the time of thy visita- 
tion. The city was destroyed because it re- 
jected Christ, who would have redeemed it from 
destruction (Matt. 21 .- 38-43 ; 22 : 7). The student 
will lose the true meaning and value of this la- 
ment for himself, if he does not recognize in the 
destruction of Jerusalem a type of the end of the 
world and of the judgment that awaits each indi- 
vidual soul, that knows not the time of its merci- 
ful visitation, and rejects the Lord, who would 
bring to it peace. 

45, 46. This casting out of the traders is not 
to be confounded with that recorded by John 
(John 2 : 13-16). See Mark 11 : 15-19, notes. It was 
an act of kingly authority. 

47, 48. Compare Mark 11 : 18, 19. The chief 
of the people, probably denote the chiefs of the 
synagogues, who combined with the chief priests, 
i. e., with the heads of the priestly courses and 
the scribes, i. e., the theological teachers. All the 
people were very attentive, indicates that Christ was 
popular among the common people in Jerusalem, 
who had perhaps caught their enthusiasm from 
the Galileans and other strangers. Apparently 
he spent every night out of the city (Mark 11 : 19 ; 

Luke 21 : 3s). 

Ch, 20 : 1-8. The Authobity of Christ 
Questioned.— Comp. Matt. 21 : 23-27; Mark 
11 : 27-33. See notes on Matthew. The varia- 
tions in phraseology are very slight, and are none 
of them very material. 



Oh. XX.] 



LUKE. 



125 



bandmen. that they should give him of tne fruit ' of the 
vineyard ; but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him 
away empty. 

ii And again he sent another servant : and they beat 
him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him 
away empty. 

12 And a'gain he sent a third : and they wounded 
him also, and cast him out. 

13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I 
do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will 
reverence him, when they see him. 

14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reason- 
ed among themselves, saying. This is the heir : J come, 
let* us kill him, that the inheritance may be our's. 

15 S; they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed 
him. TThat therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do 
unto them? 

16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, 
and shall give the vineyard to others. 1 And when they 
heard it. they said, God forbid. 

17 And he beheld them, and said. What is this then 
that is written, The m stone which the builders reject- 
ed, the same is become the head of the corner ? 

18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be 
broken ; but n on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind 
him to powder. 

■ 19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same 
hour sought to lay hands on him ; and the}- feared the 
people : for they perceived that he had spoken this 
parable against them. 

20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, 
which should feign themselves just men, that they 
might take hold of his words, that so thev might de- 
liver him unto the power and authority of thegover- 
nor. 

21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know 
that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest 
thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God 
truly : 

22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Csesar, or 
no? 

23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto 
them, Why tempt ye me ? 



24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and super- 
scription hath it ? They answered and said, Caesar's. 

25 And he said unto them, Render p therefore unto 
I Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the 

things which be God's. 

26 And they could not take hold of his words before 
the people : and they marvelled at his answer, and 
held 4 their peace. 

27 Then r came to him certain of the Sadducees, 8 
which deny that there is any resurrection ; and they 
asked him, 

28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote' unto us, If any 
man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without 
children, that his brother should take his wife, and 
raise up seed unto his brother. 

29 There were therefore seven brethren : and the 
first took a wife, and died without children. 

30 And the second took her to wife, and he died 
childless. 

31 And the third took her; and in like manner the 
seven also : and they left no children, and died. 

32 Last of all the woman died also. 

33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them 
is she ? for seven had her to wife. 

34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The chil- 
dren of this world marry, and are given in marriage : 

35 But thev which shall be accounted worthy u to 
obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, 
neither marry, nor are given in marriage : 

36 Neither"'' can they die any more : for they are 
equal unto the angels ; w and are the x children of God, 
being the childrenof the resurrection. 

37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shew- 
ed J" at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of 
Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God cf Jacob. 

38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living : 
for z all live unto him. 

39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Mas- 
ter, thou hast well said. 

40 And after that they durst not ask him any ques- 
tion at all. 

41 And a he said unto them, How say they that 
Christ is David's son ? 



i John 15:16; Rom. 7:4 j Ps. 2 : 8 ; Rom. 8 

118 : 22. . . .n Dan. 2 : 34, 35. . . .0 Matt. 22 : 15, 

12 : 18, etc. . . s Acts 23 : 6, 8 t Deut. 25 : 5-8. 

8: 17 y Exod. 3 : 2-6 z Rom. 14:8,9 a 



: 17 ; Heb. 1 : 2. . . .k Matt. 27 : 21-25 : Acts 2 : 23 ; 3 : 15. . . .1 Neh. 9 : 36, 37. . . .m Ps. 

etc. ; Mark 12:13 p Rom. 13:7 q Titus 1 : 10, 11 r Matt. 22:23, etc.; Mark 

. . .u ch. 21 : 36 ; Rev. 3 : 4. . . .v Rev. 21 : 4....W 1 Cor. 15 : 49, 52 ; 1 John 3 : 2. . . .x Rom. 
Matt. 22 : 42 ; Mark 12 : 35, etc. 



9-19. Parable of the Wicked Husband- 
men.— Comp. Matt. 21 : 33-46 ; Mark 12 : 1-12. 
See notes on Matthew. The variations in phrase- 
ology are considerable. Luke alone tells us that 
the parable was spoken to the people. Hie season 
(ver. 10) is equivalent to the time of the fruit (Matt. 
21 : 34), i. e., the harvest period, when the rent in 
produce would naturally be payable. What shall 
I do? (ver. 13), a graphic representation of the 
Heavenly Father's grief over the rebellion of his 
children, is peculiar to Luke. The prophetic 
declaration of punishment, he shall come and 
destroy these husbandmen, appears from a compar- 
ison with Matthew to have been elicited from 
the people by Christ's question, and to have 
elicited in turn the involuntary response from the 
Pharisees, God forbid. 

20-26. Concerning Tribute to Cjssar.— 
Comp. Matt. 22 : 15-22 ; Mark 12 : 13-17. Verse 
20 is peculiar to Luke, but accords with and per- 
haps is implied by the language of Matt. 
22 : 15, 16. 

27-40. The Sadducees Silenced.— Comp. 
Matt. 22 : 23-33 ; Mark 12 : 18-27. See notes on 



Matthew. Vers. 34-36 are peculiar to Luke, and 
give much more fully than Matthew or Mark 
Christ's reply. But this reply is preceded by a se- 
vere rebuke of the Sadducees reported by the 
other evangelists, but not by Luke. Marriage 
being ordained to preserve the human species, to 
which otherwise death would soon put an end, 
ceases with death. Those who are accounted 
worthy to obtain eternal life and the resurrection 
of the dead, i. e., the first resurrection (Rev. 
I 20 : 5, 6), or the resurrection of life (joins : 29), be- 
j come, not angels, but equal with the angels, in the 
1 two respects that they do not know death and do 
! not marry. The last clause of ver. 36, are the 
] childrenof God, being the children of the resurrec- 
■ Hon, implies that it is their resurrection which 
gives them a right to be regarded as the children 
' of God. It is this resurrection into the divine 
likeness, for which the Psalmist aspired (ps. w : 15) ; 
for which Paul strove (phii. 3 : 11) ; for which John 
hoped (1 John 3 : 2). The last clause of ver. 38, for 
all live unto him, is also peculiar to Luke. The 
meaning appears to be that only to men do the 
departed seem dead ; in the sight of God all are 



126 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XXL 



42 And David himself saith b in the book of Psalms, 
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right 
hand, 

43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 

44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then 
his son ? 

45 Then in the audience of c all the people he said 
unto his disciples, 

46 Beware « of the scribes, which desire to walk in 
long robes, and love greetings e in the markets, and the 
highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms 
at feasts ; 

47 Which f devour widows' houses, and for a shows 
make long prayers : the same shall receive greater h 
damnation. 



CHAPTER XXL 



AND he looked up, and' 1 saw the rich men casting 
their gifts into the treasury. 

2 And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in 
thither two mites. 

3 And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this 
poor widow hath cast in more J than they all. 

4 For all these have of their abundance cast in unto 
the offerings of God : but she of her penury hath cast 
in all the living that she had. 

5 And k as some spake of the temple, how it was 
adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 

6 As for these things which ye behold, the days will 
come, in the which ' there shall not be left one stone 
upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 



b Ps. 110 : 1 ; Acts 2 : 34. . . .c 1 Tim. 5 : 20. . . .d Mark 12 : 38, 
2: 5....h ch. 10: 12,14; James 3 : l....i Mark 12 : 41.... 



.e ch. 11 : 43. . . .f Isa. 10 : 2 ; Matt. 23 : 14; 2 Tim. 3 : 6. . . .g 1 Thess. 
,3 2 Cor. 8 : 12 k Matt. 24 : 1, etc. ; Mark 13 : 1, etc 1 ch. 19 : 44, etc. 



living. The declaration of vers. 39, 40, is implied 
in Matt. 22 : 34 ; comp. Matt. 22 : 46. 

41-44. The Pharisees Baffled. Comp. 
Matt. 22 : 41-46 ; Mark 12 : 35-37. See notes on 
Matthew. This question followed the question 
addressed to Christ by the lawyer, concerning 
the great commandment in the law. 

45-47. Denunciation of the Scribes. — 
These verses embody a bare suggestion of a dis- 
course reported in full by Matthew (ch. 23). Some 
of the same thoughts and almost identical ex- 
pressions reported there in Matthew are given by 
Luke in other connections (Luke 11 : 42-54 ; 13 : 33-35). 
On the verses here, see Matt. 23 : 5, 6, 14, and 
Mark 12 : 38-40. For illustration of highest seats 
in the synagogues, see Luke 11 : 43. 



Ch. 21 ; 1-4. The Widow's Mites.— Comp. 
Mark 12 : 41-44, notes. 

Ch. 21 : 5-36. Discourse on the Last 

Days.— See Matt., ch. 24. This discourse was 
delivered apart to the disciples, perhaps only 



to Peter, James, John, and Andrew, and on 
the Mount of Olives over against Jerusalem 
(Mark 13 : 3). The fullest and most systematic 
report is afforded by Matt., ch. 24. For analy- 
sis of discourse, a brief statement of the dif- 
ferent interpretations, and notes on what is 
common to the three accounts, see Matthew. 
Matthew and Mark are very nearly identical ; 
though the verbal differences are such as to 
indicate that they are from independent sources. 
Luke's language is quite different, and though 
his report is least full of the three, and gives 
indications of not being by an eye and ear 
witness, it contains some matters not afforded by 
either of the other accounts. In the notes here I 
confine myself to these peculiar features. 

5-6. This was said by the disciples as they, 
with Jesus, were leaving the temple. Comp. 
Mark 13 : 1, 2, notes. 

7-11. They asked him. His disciples, pri- 
vately (Mark 13 : 3, note). For analysis of their ques- 
tion, which affords a key to the discourse, see in 
Matt. 24 : 3. — The time draweth near. That 




THE TEMPLE SITE. 



Ch. XXL] 



LUKE. 



127 



7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when 
shall these things be ? and what sign will there be 
when these things shall come to pass ? 

8 And he said, Take m heed that ye be not deceived : 
for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ ; 
and a the time draweth near : go ye not therefore after 
them. 

9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, 
be ° not terrified : for these things must first come to 
pass • but the end is not by and by. 

io Then said he unto them,P Nation shall rise against 
nation, and kingdom against kingdom : 

ii And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, 
and famines, and pestilences ; and fearful sights and 
great signs shall there be from heaven. 

12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on 



you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the syna- 
gogues, and into prisons,i being brought before kings' 
and rulers for my name's sake. 

13 And s it shall turn to you for a testimony. 

14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to ' meditate 
before what ye shall answer : 

15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which 
all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay" nor 
resist. 

16 And v ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and 
brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends ; and w some of you 
shall they cause to be put to death. 

17 And ye shall be hated x of all men for my name's 
sake. 

18 But? there shall not an hair of your head perish. 

19 In your patience z possess ye your souls. 



m 2 Thess. 2 : 3, 9, 10 ; 1 John 4 : 1 ; 2 John 7 n Rev. 1 : 3 

Rev. 2 : 10 r Acts 25 : 23 s Phil. 1 : 28 ; 2 Thess. 

12:2; 26 : 10 ; Rev. 2 : 13 ; 6:9; 12 : 11 x John 17 



Prov. 3 : 25, 26 p Haggfli 2 : 22. 



q Acts 4 : 3; 5 : 18; 12:4; 16:24; 

t ch. 12:11 ; Matt. 10 : 19 u Acts 6: 10... v Micah 7 : 5, 6 w Acts 7 : 59; 

14 y Matt. 10 : 30 z Rom. 5:3, Heb. 10 : 36 ; James 1 : 4. 



is, the time of the second coming of the Mes- 
siah and the manifestation of his kingdom. 
These are the words with which the false pro- 
phets would endeavor to deceive the church. — 
There shall not be one stone left upon 
another that shall not be thrown down. 
The accompanying illustration shows how com- 
pletely this prediction has been realized. It is a 
view of the temple site as it now is, standing near 
and west of the present Mosque of Omar. The 
Temple of Herod has entirely disappeared, and 
its materials have been carried away and used in 
other buildings. — The end is not immedi- 
ately. The Greek word (iv$l<og), here rendered 
by and by, is never so translated in the N. T. ex- 
cept here and in Luke 17 : 7. In both cases, the 
word immediately would better convey the mean- 
ing. The use of the phrase, "by and &?/," as 
equivalent to immediately, has become obsolete. 
The meaning is, that the end of the world will 
not immediately follow the troublous times pre- 
dicted in the preceding part of this sentence. — 
Fearful sights and great signs shall there 
be from heaven. These words are not found 
in Matthew or Mark. Josephus gives an account 
of prodigies accompanying the destruction of 
Jerusalem, which may be a fulfillment of this 
prophecy. See Matthew, ch. 24, Prel. Note. 
These are not to be confounded with the signs 
mentioned in ver. 25. See on Matt. 24 : 29-31. 

12-19. Compare Mark 13 : 9-11, and notes. 
Matthew's report is not so full, and contains nei- 
ther the directions nor the promises here given ; 
but parallel to them is Matt. 10 : 17-22 ; see notes 
there.— But before all these. That is, before 
the perfected fulfillment of this prophecy. The 
language here confirms the view maintained in 
the notes on Matthew, that Christ's prophecy in 
this chapter was not fulfilled by the destruction 
of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jewish 
nation. It still awaits its perfect fulfillment. — 
It shall result to you for a testimony. 
That is, the malice of Christ's foes shall be made 
by God a means of testifying to the faithfulness 



of Christ's disciples to him, and his faithfulness 
to his disciples. Thus the blood of the martyrs 
becomes the seed of the church. — Settle it in 
your hearts. The dangers, therefore, were to 
be a subject of premeditation, and for them they 
were to make preparation ; but for such dangers 
the Christian's preparation is that of the heart 
rather than that of the head, trust in God 
rather than shrewdness and self-trust. — Not 
to practice beforehand your defence. The 
original (nQOLulttau)) is used in classic Greek 
of the practice of a professional rhetorician of 
his declamation (see Sophocles, and authorities 
there cited) ; and I see no authority in the N. T. 
for our English version, though it is sanctioned by 
Kobinson's Lexicon. The Lord does not prohibit 
premeditation ; but he directs his disciples to rest 
their defence not on the artifices of the rheto- 
rician, but on trust in God and the truth. — But 
I will give you both a mouth and wis- 
dom ; i.e., both wisdom to guide, and power of 
utterance. — Shall not be able to gainsay or 
withstand ; i. e., to speak against, for the disci- 
ples' arguments should be unanswerable ; or to 
counteract ; for the effect of their trial and de- 
fence should be only to promote the cause theii 
enemies sought to overthrow. In fact, some of 
the most eloquent and effective defences of 
Christianity have been the unpremeditated re- 
sponses of persecuted Christians in the hour of 
peril. For Scripture illustrations, see Acts 
4 : 19, 20 ; 5 : 29-32 ; 7 : 26.— But there shall 
not a hair of your head perish. Comp. 
Matt. 10 : 30. "Not literally but really true ; not 
corporeally, but in that real and only life which 
the disciple of Christ possesses." — (Alford.) But 
we may say more than this. It is literally though 
not corporeally true, that not a hair of their head 
should perish, since not a single suffering of any 
description, borne for Christ's sake, has per- 
ished ; the disciple, as the Master, shall see of 
the travail of his soul and be satisfied (isaiah 
53 : n). — In your endurance ye shall acquire 
your life. This is not a mere direction, as our 



128 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXI. 



20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with 
armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 

21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the 
mountains ; and let them which are in the midst of it 
depart out : and let not them that are in the countries 
enter thereinto. 

22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all 3 
things which are written may be fulfilled. 



23 But woe unto them b that are with child, and to 
them that give suck, in those days ! for there shall be 
great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 

24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and 
shall be led away captive into all nations : and Jerusa- 
lem c shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the 
times d of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the 



25, 48 ; Dan. 9 : 26, 27 ; Zech. 11:6; 14 : 1, 2. . . .b Lam. • 



.c Dan. 12:7; Rev. 11 : 2. . . .d Rom. 11 : 25. 



English version renders it, to keep the soul pa- 
tient in trouble, hut a declaration that the Chris- 
tian obtains his true life by patient endurance of 
tribulation. The original Greek word rendered 
patience (v7touovij) is literally remaining under; 
hence the significance of the promise, applicable 
to all ages of the church, is that true life is ob- 
tained, not by ingenious contrivances to escape 
from life's ills, but by patiently remaining under 
whatever burden Christ bids us carry for his sake. 
It therefore interprets such declarations as Isaiah 
53 : 4, and is interpreted by such passages as 
Matt. 10 : 39 ; see note there. 

20-24. And when ye shall see Jerusa- 
lem encompassed with armies. This sign of 
the approaching desolation is generally regarded 
as identical with Matt. 24 : 15. " When ye there- 
fore shall see the abomination of desolation 
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the 
holy place." This seems to me improbable. See 
note there. I should rather agree with Alford, 
that Matthew and Mark give the inner or domes- 
tic sign of the approaching calamity to be seen in 
Jerusalem and possibly in the temple itself, 
designated by the phrase Holy Place, while 
Luke gives the outward and contemporaneous 
state of things. An opportunity to flee was af- 
forded by the course of history. Cestius Gallus, 
the Eoman prefect, made an attack on Jerusalem 
in the fall of A. d. 66, but was beaten off and re- 
treated. It was not till the beginning of a. d. 70, 
that Titus made his appearance before the walls 
of the city to inaugurate the final and successful 
siege. Thus time and warning were afforded to 
those that believed Christ's prophecy of the ap- 
proaching desolation of the city ; and the early 
Christian writers tell us that the Christians 
availed themselves of it and fled from the city, 
so that not one is known to have perished in the 
siege. — Let not them that are in the coun- 
try districts enter into it, i. e., into Jerusa- 
lem. Those that dwelt in the country might 
naturally, on the approach of the Roman legions, 
enter Jerusalem, either as a protection or to re- 
enforce it. This Christ's disciples are forbidden 
to do, for the reason stated in the next verse. — 
These be the days of vengeance, L e., of 
divine vengeance. To resist the Roman army 
would therefore be fighting a vain battle against 
God himself. " We may call to mind the expres- 
sion even of a Titus: * That God was so angry 



with this people, that even he feared His wrath, 
if he should suffer grace to be shown to the 
Jews, ' and how he refused every mark of honor 
on account of the victory obtained, with the at- 
testation that he had been only an instrument in 
God's hands to punish this stiff-necked nation. " 
— (Lange.) All things that are written. 
The reference cannot be to Christ's previous 
intimations of the destruction of Jerusalem (John 
2 : 19 ; Matt. 21 : 41 ; 23 : 38), f or these were not as yet 
written. The language refers to 0. T. prophe- 
cies, such as Lev. 26 : 14-23 ; Deut. 28 : 15, etc. ; 
29: 19-28 ; Dan. 9 : 26, 27 ; Zech., ch. 11 ; 14 : 42.— 
Distress in the land, i. e., of Palestine ; and 
wrath (of God) upon his people, the Jews. 
Let them who wish to eliminate the conception of 
divine wrath from theology, consider whether 
they can eliminate such scenes as the destruction 
of Jerusalem from history. — They shall fall 
by the mouth of the sword, etc. For descrip- 
tion of fulfillment of this prophecy, see Matt. 
24 : 21, note, and Prel. Note to that chapter. 
Over a million of Jews are said by Josephus to 
have been slain, and ninety-seven thousand to 
have been taken captive. — Shall be trodden 
down of the nations (comp. Rev. n : 2), until 
the time of the nations shall be fulfilled. 
There is no reason philologically for regard- 
ing the word Gentiles {i&vog) here as equiva- 
lent to Romans; the ordinary significance in 
N. T. usage, is heathen nations. The language 
describes aptly the present and past condition of 
Jerusalem, which since the dispersion of the 
Jews has been under the feet of successive Gen- 
tile nations, is so now, and is to remain so until 
the time of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, i. e., not till 
they have fulfilled their mission as executors of 
divine punishment (so Oosterzee and Bengel), 
but till their time of trial and redemption is 
past, as the time of trial and redemption of the 
Jewish nation as a nation, was ended with the 
destruction of the holy city. So, substantially, 
Alford. The times of the Gentiles are the Gen- 
tile dispensation, just as the time of Jerusalem 
is the Jewish dispensation ; the great rejec- 
tion of the Lord by the Gentile world, answers 
to its type, his rejection by the Jews. This 
being finished, the end of all things shall come, 
the time of which the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem was a type. So we have in Rev. 11 : 18. 
"The time of the dead," which is interpreted 



Oh. XXL] 



LUKE. 



129 



moon, and in the stars ; and upon the earth distress e 
of nations, with perplexity ; the sea and the waves 
roaring ; 

26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking 
after those things which are coming on the earth : for 
the f powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming s 
in a cloud with power and great glory. 

28 And when these things begin to come to pass, 
then look up, and lift up your heads ; for your redemp- 
tion 11 draweth nigh. 



29 And l he spake to them a parable ; Behold the fig 
tree, and all the trees ; 

30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of 
your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 

31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to 

Eass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at 
and. 

32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not 
pass away till all be fulfilled. 

33 Heaven J and earth shall pass away: but my 
words shall not pass away. 



e Dan. 12: 1. 



1:7; 14 : 14. 



.j Isa. 40 : 8 ; 51 ; 



there as the time "that they should be 
judged." 

25-^8. I believe the language here to be 
parallel to, perhaps only a different report of, 
that in Matt. 24 : 27-31, and to be descriptive, 
not of signs which shall accompany the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, but of those to accompany 
the final coming of Christ, after a long period of 
tribulation. See Matt., ch. 24, Prel. Note. The 
direction of verse 28 must be regarded as ad- 
dressed through the then hearers to the uni- 
versal church, as indeed the whole prophecy is. 
Nor must we forget in interpreting it, that it was 
not the divine design that the disciples should 
know how long was to be the period of tribula- 
tion, that it was meant that the church in every 
age should live in expectancy of it, and that 
even Christ himself did not know the day and 
the hour (Matt. 13 : 32, note). — And there shall be 
signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in 
the stars. Compare the more definite language 
of Matt. 24 : 29.— And upon the earth dis- 
tress of nations. Literally, a shutting up, as 
of men in a besieged city. The world will be 
beleagured, and from it there will be no escape. 
Observe that in the original, the word here ren- 
dered nations, is that in verse 41 rendered Gen- 
tiles. In the destruction of Jerusalem the dis- 
tress fell upon the Jews, and was inflicted by the 
Gentiles ; in the time now spoken of (the time of 
the Gentile nations) the distress will fall upon 
them ; they will be the beleagured and the 
anxious. — With perplexity. They will doubt 
what the portents may mean, and their fear will 
be interspersed by the feeling that they know 
not what a day or an hour may bring forth. — 
The sea and the waves roaring. Natural 
signs on the earth will accompany those in the 
heavens. The picture is partially interpreted by 
what occurs during an earthquake on the sea- 
coast.— Men's hearts fainting (as in a swoon) 
for fear (of what they already see) and for 
expectation of those things coming upon 
the habitable globe. Not upon Judea or Pal- 
estine ; the original Greek word is never used 
with that limited sense in the N. T. See Matt. 
24 : 13, 14, note. Clearly something more than 
any of the events, terrible as those were, which 
accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem, is 



indicated by the language here.— Then shall 
they see. Not merely the Jews but the nations, 
i. e. the Gentile nations, shall see. It is not true 
that either Jew or Gentile recognized in the 
destruction of Jerusalem a sign of the truth that 
Jesus was the Christ. See Matt. 29-31, note ; and 
on the phrase "Son of man," Matt. 10 : 23, note. 
Comp. with the language here, Matt. 25 : 31 ; 
26 : 64 ; Mark 14 : 62, where Christ uses analo- 
gous language, and where he indubitably refers 
to his final coming to judge the world. — And 
when these things begin to come to pass, 
i. e., the first appearance of the promised 
signs of Christ's final coming. — Look up and 
lift up your heads. The metaphor is of one 
sitting down in grief, with bowed head, who on 
the coming of succor lifts up the head, both to 
receive the word and let it awaken hope. — Be- 
cause your redemption draweth nigh. 
That coming of Christ which will fill the unbe- 
lievers with terror, will fill his own children with 

joy (Psalm90 : 11-13, with Rev. 1 : 7). 

For reasons partly indicated in the notes here, 
and more fully in the notes on Matt., ch. 24, it 
seems to me impossible to regard these verses 
(25-28) as merely a prophecy of the destruction of 
Jerusalem and the dispersion of the Jews. This, 
though a common orthodox interpretation, re- 
quires us to give to such language as that of 
verses 25 and 27 a meaning which belittles, if it 
does not positively falsify, Christ's words; to 
attribute to the words nation (t&vog) and earth 
(trjg yijg) a meaning which they nowhere else 
bear in the N. T. ; to ignore the teaching of 
parallel passages of Scripture, and partly of 
Christ's own words elsewhere employed in 
describing his Second Coming ; and to ignore 
his explicit declaration in Mark 13 : 32, that 
he does not know when that Second Coming will 
take place. The language here and in Mat- 
thew should be compared with that of Rev. 
6 : 12-17, and the remarkable parallel between 
Christ's prophecy and John's vision noticed. In 
both the sun and moon are darkened and the 
stars fall from heaven ; in one, the heavens are 
shaken, in the other, rolled together as a scroll ; 
in both, the powers of nature are shaken upon 
the earth ; here, the sea and waves roaring ; 
there, mountains and islands moved out of their 



130 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XXL 



34 And take heed k to yourselves, lest at any time 
your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, 1 and drunk- 
enness, and cares of this life, and so that day come 
upon you unawares. 

35 For m as a snare shall it come on all them that 
dwell on the face of the whole earth. 

36 Watch n ye therefore, and pray always, that ye 
may be accounted ° worthy to escape all these things 



that shall come to pass, and top stand before 1 the Son 
of man. 

37 And in the day time he was teaching in the tem- 
ple ; and at night he went out, and abode in the 
mount r that is called the mount of Olives. 

38 And all the people came early in the morning to 
him in the temple, for to hear him. 



k Rom. 13: 12, 13; 1 Thess- 5 : 6-8 ; 1 Pet. 4: 7.... 1 Isa. 28: 1-3; 1 Cor. 6 : 10.... m 
n Matt. 25 : 13 o ch. 20 : 35 p Pa. 1 : 5. . . .q Jude 24. 



Thess. 5 ; 2 ; 2 Pet. 
. .r John 8 : 1, 2. 



10; Rev. 16: 15.... 



places; in both, the nations are represented as 
in fear and perplexity and faintheartedness, 
and endeavoring to escape from the besieged 
earth. I know not how any one can read the 
two accounts together and not be satisfied that 
John's vision was of that event which his Lord 
had previously described. 

29-33. See notes on Matt. 24 : 32-35.— My 
words shall not pass away. Nothing ap- 
parently is so fugitive as words, and the words 
of Christ were spoken, not reduced to writing by 
him, or in his lifetime ; yet history has demon- 
strated the truth of this declaration, and his 
words have proved more enduring than monu- 
ments, temples, cities, or even civilizations, and 
shall in their influence outlast the world itself, 
Observe in the structure of this promise an addi- 
tional indication, that the prophecy here relates 
to the end of the world, not merely to the end of 
the Jewish dispensation. On the meaning of the 
word generation (ysvau) which would be better, 
rendered race, see on Matt 24 : 34. 

34-36. These verses are peculiar to Luke. 
Parallel to them is Matt. 24 : 38-51, and Mark 
13 : 33-37. In all these reports the practical 
lesson is the same, the duty of prayer and watch- 
fulness. The language interprets the more gen- 
eral direction in Matthew and Mark, "Watch 
ye, therefore ; " this watching is not in order to 
give the disciple a better and earlier apprehen- 
sion of the approach of the last day, but to 
guard against insidious dangers which threaten 
to make even the disciple of the Lord unpre- 
pared for it and for Him (Matt. 24 : 42, note). — Lest 
your hearts grow heavy. This expression is 
equivalent to wax gross in Matt. 13 : 15 ; see 
note there. — With surfeiting and drunk- 
enness and cares of this life. Two very 
incongruous vices are here mentioned, equally 
inconsistent with the spirit of true piety ; the 
one the vice of self-indulgence, the other that 
of worldly anxiety ; the one the vice of the 
spendthrift, the other that of a mere worldly 
thrift. Comp. Matt. 13 : 22, note.— And that 
day come upon you unforeseen. Not 
merely suddenly — it will come so to all— but 
unlooked for ; or, as in our English version, un- 
awares, i. e,, upon us while unwatchful, un- 
guarded, and so unprepared for its coming. — 
For as a snare shall it come. If the Bible 
afforded the material for foretelling, even approx- 



imately, the time of its coming, this would not be 
true.— On all them that dwell on the face 
of the whole earth. Clearly here our Lord 
is speaking, not of the destruction of Jerusalem, 
but of the last great day. And this is usually 
the meaning in the N. T. of the phrase that 
day, when used absolutely, as here (Matt. 22 •. 42, 
note). — Watch ye, therefore, in every sea- 
son (iv navtl xaiQoj). In prosperity, against the 
enticements of self-indulgence ; in adversity, 
against the encroachments- of earthly cares. — 
Praying that ye may be accounted 
worthy. Observe, not be worthy, but reckoned 
worthy. Here is the germ of that doctrine of 
justification by grace through faith, of which we 
find the elaboration in Paul's epistles (Rom. 4 : 2-6). 
— To be made to stand before the Son of 
man. Not to stand, as in our English version ; 
the verb (oTad-ijvai) is in the passive, not the ac- 
tive voice. We are not, and cannot be worthy, to 
stand before the Messiah ; but we may be ac- 
counted as worthy to be made to stand before him, 
by his grace. It is through Christ we have ac- 
cess by faith into the divine peace, in which we 
stand here against the wiles and assaults of the 
devil (Ephes. 6 •. 13, 14), and by that grace we are to 
be made to stand before him in the last great 
day (Jude 24), the evidence of our faith being our 
obedience, manifested in a life of watching and 
prayer. Comp. James 2 : 18. On the meaning 
of the phrase, "to stand before the Son of man," 
see Psalm 1:5; Mai. 3:2; John 2 : 28. On this 
whole admonition against forgetfulness of the 
Lord, and consequent self-indulgence and sin, 
compare Rom. 13 : 11-14; Ephes. 5 : 3-6; Col. 
3:1-6. 

37, 38. He was by day in the temple 
teaching; at night going out he bi- 
vouacked on the mount called of Olives. 
In that climate and at that season there was no 
hardship in sleeping in the open air, wrapped in 
his burnoose or cloak. Some nights he seems to 
have spent at Bethany (Matt. 21 ; n), probably at 
the house of Martha and Mary. Bethany was on 
the other side of the Mount of Olives.— And all 
the people came early in the morning to 
him in the temple. This does not necessarily 
indicate anything more than curiosity on their 
part, and is not inconsistent with the subsequent 
demand for his crucifixion. Such inflections of 
popular feeling are common, and in a city 



Ch. XXII.] 



LUKE. 



131 



CHAPTER XXII. 



NOW 8 the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, 
which is called the Passover. 

2 And 1 the chief priests and scribes sought how they 
might kill him ; for they feared the people. 

3 Then u entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, 
being of the number of the twelve. 

^ And he went his way, and communed with the 
chief priests and captains, how he might betray him 
unto them. 

5 And they were glad, and covenanted v to give him 
money. 

6 And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray 
him unto them in the absence of the multitude. 

7 Then came the day • of unleavened bread, when 
the passover must be killed. 



8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and pre- 
pare us the passover, that we may eat. 

9 And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we 
prepare ? 

io And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are en- 
tered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing 
a pitcher of water ; follow him into the house where he 
entereth in. 

ii And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, 
The Master saith unto thee. Where is the guestcham- 
ber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples ? 

12 And he shall shew you a large upper room fur- 
nished : there make ready. 

13 And they went, and found as he had said unto 
them : and they made ready the passover. 

14 And* when the hour was come, he sat down, and 
the twelve apostles with him. 



Matt. 26 : 2 ; Mark 14 : 1, etc. . 



.t Ps. 2 : 2; Acts 4 : 27.. 
w Exod., ch. 12. 



Matt. 26 . 14 j Mark 14 : 10, etc. 
: Matt. 26 : 20 , Mark 14 17. 



John 13: 2, 27.... v Zech. 11 



thronged as Jerusalem was on Passover week, 
there may well have been two parties, one who 
admired and another who hated him. It was the 
nature of his teaching to awaken both love and 
hostility. These two verses are peculiar to 
Luke. They do not necessarily imply that 
Christ taught in the temple after this time ; and 
a comparison of the four Gospels shows that his 
invective against the Pharisees (Matt., ch. 23) was 
the last discourse delivered in the temple. See 
verse 39 there. Here Luke simply states in 
general terms what was Christ's habit during his 
brief ministry in Jerusalem. This was to teach 
in the temple by day, but to escape from the 
multitude and seek repose in the country by 
night. 

Ch. 22 : 1-13. Prepara/tion for the Last 
Supper. — Parallel to Luke's account of the Last 
Supper is Matt. 26 : 1-35 ; Mark 11 : 1-31. See 
notes throughout on Matthew. John gives no 
account of the institution of the Last Supper, 
though he refers to it (John 13 : 2), and gives more 
fully than either of the other Evangelists a re- 
port of Christ's instructions to his disciples at 
that time (John, chaps. 14-16). Luke gives more 
fully than the other Evangelists Christ's direc- 
tions to Peter and John for the preparation of 
the Passover (vers. 7-13), and alone gives the ac- 
count of the strife between the disciples which 
should be greatest (vers. 24-30). The instructions 
of vers. 35-38 are also peculiar to Luke. 

1, 2. See Matt. 26 : 1-5. Observe the indica- 
tion here and in ver. 6, that Christ was popular 
with the multitude, even in Jerusalem. The 
mob was one stirred up against him by the sedu- 
lous endeavors of the priests (Matt. 27 : is, 20). 

3-6. See Matt. 26 : 14-16, notes. The connec- 
tion in Matthew indicates the immediate occa- 
sion of the treachery of Judas, namely, his anger 
at our Lord's rebuke. On the character of Ju- 
das, see Matt. 27 : 3-10, notes. With the ex- 
pression here, Then entered Satan into Judas, 
compare John 13 : 2, 27. No demoniacal posses- 



sion is indicated, nor any such Satanic control as 
violated the liberty of Judas, but just that influ- 
ence proceeding from the evil spirit against 
which Paul cautions us in Ephes. 6 : 12. 

7, 8. Then came the day of unleavened 
bread, etc. The language is explicit that the 
Lord observed the Passover on the day on which it 
was observed by other Jews, the 11th day of Xisan, 
when the lambs were slain in the temple to be 
eaten in the Paschal feast of that evening. I 
have no doubt that the chronology of the Synop- 
tics is in this respect to be accepted ; that the 
Lord's Supper was a true Passover supper, not a 
special preparatory or prophetic feast, nor one 
celebrated out of the appropriate time ; and that 
the references to John, which are quoted in sup- 
port of the opposite view, are not, when thor- 
oughly considered, inconsistent with this one. 
See Note on Lord's Supper, Vol. I, p. 286. — Go 
and prepare us the Passover. On the nature 
of the preparation required, see Matt. 26 : 17, 
note. 

9-13. There shall a man meet you bear-, 
ing a pitcher of water. Doubtless a servant, 
the drawing of water being in the East a service 
usually performed by the servants or the women 
of the household. — Ye shall say unto the 
good man of the house. The master or owner 
of the house (dixodsononj;). During the Pass- 
over week hospitality was recognized as a uni- 
versal duty in Jerusalem ; pilgrims and strangers 
were received, and rooms were allotted to them 
for the celebration of the feast. But it is not 
probable that a room would have been given to 
entire strangers without previous arrangement, 
and the language which the disciples are in- 
structed to use, The 2Iaster saith unto thee, 
seems to me clearly to indicate that the good 
man of the house recognized Jesus as Master ; 
in other words, was in some sense at least a dis- 
ciple. Whether Christ had previously arranged 
with him for the use of a room, or whether the 
instruction to Peter and John was founded 
wholly on supernatural knowledge of the wel- 



132 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXII. 



15 And he said unto them, With desire I have de- 
sired to eat this passover with you before I suffer : 

16 For I say unto you, 1 will not any more eat there- 
of, until y it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. 

17 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, 
Take this, and divide it among yourselves : 

18 For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit 
of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come. 

19 And 2 he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake 
zY, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body, 
which is given for you : this do in remembrance of me. 

20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This 



cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed 
for you. 

21 But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is 
with me a on the table. 

22 And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was deter- 
mined : b but woe unto that man by whom he is be- 
trayed ! 

23 And they began to inquire among themselves, 
which of them it was that should do this thing. 

24 And c there was also a strife among them, which 
of them should be accounted the greatest. 

25 And he said unto them, The d kings of the Gen- 



y ch. 14 : 15 ; 1 Cor. 5 : 7, 8 ; Rev. 19 : 9. . . .z 1 Cor. 10 : 16 ; 11 : 24, etc. . . .a Ps. 41 
1 Cor. 15 : 3. . . .c ch. 9 : 46 ; Mark 9 : 34. . . .d Matt. ! 



i; John 13: 26... b ch. 24 : 

: 25 ; Mark 10 : 42. 



come which would be accorded to him, we have 
no means of knowing. Jesus knew the projected 
treachery of Judas ; by confiding in this manner 
to Peter and John the preparation of the room, 
he prevented the possible interruption of the 
feast, ^since not even one of the disciples knew 
the place selected for their meeting. — The Mas- 
ter saith unto thee. The full message was, 
My time is at hand ; 1 will keep the Passover at thy 
house with my disciples (Matt. 26 : is) ; where is the 
guest-chamber, etc. The disciples alone ate with 
Jesus ; the host probably observed the Passover 
in another room with his own household. — A 
large upper room furnished. This upper 
chamber was a sort of guest-chamber, not in 
common use, where the ancients received com- 
pany and held feasts, and which was usually, 
though not always, in the upper story, and 
sometimes on or connected with the roof. This 
room was furnished, i. e., provided with a sup- 
per-table and couches. For illustration of table, 
and method of recbning, see Matt. 26 : 20, note. 

14-23. The Lord's Supper. Prophecy op 
Christ's Betrayal. — See Matt. 26 : 26^30; 
Mark 14 : 22-25 ; 1 Cor. 11 : 23-25. In com- 
paring these accounts, it must be remembered 
that Luke and Mark were not of the twelve, 
and therefore were not present. This may 
account in part for the diversity in chro- 
nology. For notes on the Lord's Supper, see 
Matthew, where the chronology is given. For 
notes on the prophecy of betrayal, see John 
13 : 21-30. 

15. Peculiar to Luke. The intensity of 
Christ's desire to eat this last Passover with his 
disciples, like his desire for their sympathy and 
prayers in his agony in Gethsemane (Matt. 26 : 37, 39, 
40), hints at the character of his love, as one 
which yearned for human sympathy and love. 
May we not say that he still earnestly desires to 
eat this supper with his disciples, and that every 
cold and formal celebration of this memorial 
service is, as it were, a personal disappointment 
and sorrow to him ? 

16. Until it he fulfilled. The Passover 
was a prophecy of the Lord's Supper; that, in 
turn, is prophetic of the Marriage Supper of the 

Lamb (Matt. 26 ; 29, note). 



17. He took the cup. Not the one men- 
tioned in verse 20. This cup preceded, that 
followed the supper. See account of Passover 
ceremonial, Matt. 26 : 26-30, Prel. Note. 

18, 19. I will not drink of the fruit of 
the vine. In Matthew this expression is re- 
ported at the close of the meal ; here at the com- 
mencement. Perhaps Christ repeated it. As the 
verse stands here, it implies that Christ did not 
partake of the bread and wine ; but in Matthew 
the language is different, "I will not drink hence- 
forth;' 1 '' and this is probably the meaning here. 
Verse 15 appears to me to imply that he partook 
as well as his disciples. For discussion of this 
question, see Matt. 26 : 26, note. 

20. After supper. Not a cup of wine after 
the paschal supper was ended, but the cup of 
wine which, according to the Jewish ceremonial, 
closed the supper. See Matt. 26 : 26^30, Prel. 
Note, and Supplemental Note, § 2. 

21-23. This occurred prior to the institution 
of the Lord's Supper, though during the begin- 
ning of the paschal meal (Matt. 26 : 21). The lan- 
guage here, "The hand of him that betrayed me 
is with me on the table," is not, therefore, con- 
clusive upon the difficult question whether Ju- 
das was at the Lord's Supper. On the whole, 
the balance of evidence is that he had left the 
room ; but, as only John mentions his departure, 
and John says nothing of the institution of the 
Lord's Supper, the question cannot be deter- 
mined with certainty. For notes on Christ's 
prophecy of his betrayal, see John 13 : 21-35, 
and Matt. 26 : 21-25. 

Ch. 22 : 24-30. CHRIST REBUKES HIS DISCIPLES' 
STRIFE. True greatness is greatness of ser- 
vice. 

The reader must remember that Luke was not 
one of the twelve. He was not, therefore, pres- 
ent, and he gives no distinct note of time ; he 
merely indicates that a strife occurred at about 
this time, whether before or after the supper he 
did not perhaps know. The seats at the Oriental 
table were arranged in regular order, the seat 
nearest the master of the feast being the seat of 
honor. Contentions for the highest place were 
common. See ch. 14 : 7-11, note, I believe that 



Oh. XXII.] 



LUKE. 



133 



tiles exercise lordship over them ; and they that exer- 
cise authority upon them are called benefactors. 

26 But e ye shall not be so : but he that is greatest 
among you, let him be as the younger ; and he that is 
chief, as he that doth serve. 

27 For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or 
he that serveth ? is not he that sitteth at meat? but f I 
am among you as he that serveth. 

28 Ye are they which have continued with me in my 
temptations.^ 

29 And I appoint unto you a h kingdom, as my Father 
hath appointed unto me ; 



30 That 1 ye may eat and drink at my table in my 
kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging J the twelve 
tribes of Israel. 

31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan 
hath desired k to have you, that he may sift 1 you as 
wheat : 

32 But I m have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail 
not: and when thou art converted, strengthen" thy 
brethren. 

33 And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go 
with thee, both into prison, and to death. 

34 And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not 



e 1 Pet. 5 : 3 ; 3 John 9, 10 f John 13 : 13, 14 ; Phil. 2 : 7. . . .g Heb. 4 : 15. . . .h ch. 12 ; 32 ; Matt. 25 : 34 ; 1 Cor. 9 : 25 ; 1 Pet. 5:4. 

i Rev. 19 : 9 j Matt. 19 : 28 ; 1 Cor. 6:2; Rev. 3 : 21 k 1 Pet. 5:8 1 Amos 9 : 9 m John 17 : 9, 15 ; Heb. 7 : 25 ; 1 John 2 : 1 

n Ps. 51 • 13 ; John 21 : 15-17. 






this contention which should he regarded as 
greatest, took place as the twelve were taking 
their seats ; that Christ interrupted it by the 
feet-washing, recorded only by John (John 13 : 3-5) ; 
and that he. then followed the feet-washing with 
the instructions given here. This makes clear 
and significant the language of ver. 27. Similar 
contentions had occurred before among the 
twelve. Comp. Matt. 18 : 1-4, notes ; Mark 
10 : 42-45, notes. The language in the latter 
passage is very analogous to that employed here. 

24-27. Should, be accounted the great- 
est. It is not a generous emulation for true 
greatness, hut a selfish strife for appearance of 
greatness, which Christ rebukes. — Are called 
benefactors. Examples of this title, assumed 
by ancient monarchs, are given in Ptolemy, Jose- 
phus, and other ancient writers. See Rob. Diet., 
art. ivsQyizrig. — I am among you as he that 
serveth. True of Christ's whole life, which was 
one of the service of others ; but peculiar signifi- 
cance was lent to it by the service just rendered 
them in the washing of their feet, which was the 
work of a menial. 

28-30. Ye are they which have con- 
tinued with me in my trials. In this sen- 
tence he appeals both to their past history and to 
their future glory, as well as to his own example, 
in rebuking their unseemly strife. When others 
had turned back, because to follow him involved 
poverty, humiliation, and self-sacrifice, they had 
still adhered to him (John 6 : 66-69).— And I ap- 
point unto you a kingdom, as my Father 
hath appointed me. That is, the same kind 
of kingdom ; one to be conquered and governed 
by love and truth, not by ambition and guile ; a 
kingdom not of this world, yet over this world 
(John is : 36, 3"). Every follower of Christ is, or 
should be, a prince, as their Leader is King. 
"The truth and life which Jesus possessed shall 
come to dwell in them, and thereby they shall 
reign over all, as he himself has reigned over 
them. Are not Peter, John, and Paul at the 
present day the rulers of the world? " — (Godet.) 
But there is also in this and the succeeding verse 
an unmistakable reference to the time when 
Christ will come in power and glory to take full 



possession of his kingdom, and when his disci- 
ples shall share his glory and his authority with 

him (Matt. 19 : 28, note; 1 Cor. 6 : 1-4). — Ye may eat 

and drink at my table. How ignoble the 
strifes for earthly precedence of those who are 
the children and princes of God ; whose houses, 
thrones, dominions, are eternal and divine ! 

Ch. 22 : 31-38. PROPHECY OP PETER'S DENIAL. 
The danger, the duty, and the refuge of the dis- 
ciple. — The necessity of being forewarned and 

FOREARMED. 

Christ appears to have twice warned Peter of 
his danger, once before the Lord's Supper (Luke; 
John 13 : 36-38), once after the supper, and perhaps 
on the way to the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26 : 31-35 ; 
Mark 14 : 27-3i). At least, this is the more probable 
hypothesis, though Dr. Robinson regards the 
four accounts as different versions of the same 
warning, and some harmonists suppose that the 
warning was thrice repeated. The immediate 
occasion of the one here reported is indicated by 
John. It was Peter's question, "Why cannot I 
follow thee now?" and perhaps also his partici- 
pation in the strife for the first places at the 
table, recorded only by Luke. 

31. Simon. This was Peter's original name ; 
Peter was a new name given him by the Lord 
(John i : 42 ; Matt. 16 : is). It is Simon not Peter, 
the old man not the new man in Christ, whom 
Satan hopes to obtain. — Satan hath demanded 
you. As he demanded Job (job 1 : 9-12; 2:4-6). — 
That he may sift you as wheat. In the agri- 
cultural and domestic life of Palestine, the wheat 
and the flour from the wheat 
were shaken in a sieve, to 
separate the good from the 
refuse and dirt. This sieve 
was made of parchment per- 
forated with holes, or of 
horse-hair, thread, papyrus, 
or rushes interwoven. The 
Egyptian, and probably the 
Jewish, sieves were made of 
papyrus and rushes. The accompanying illus- 
tration is taken from a bas-relief on the Column 
of Trajan. Christ's figure illustrates both the 




ANCIENT SIEVE. 



134 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXII. 



crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that 
thou knowest me. 

35 And he said unto them, When ° I sent you with- 
out purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing ? 
And they said, Nothing. 

36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a 
purse, let him take zV, and likewise his scrip ; and he 
that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy 
one. 



37 For I say unto you, that this that is written p must 
yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned 
among the transgressors : for the things concerning me 
have an end. 

38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. 
And he said unto them, It is enough. 

39 And 9 he came out, and went, as he was wont, to 
the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed 
him. 



, p Isa. 53 : 12 .... q Matt. ! 



1 ; Mark 14 : 32, etc. ; John 18 : 1, etc. 



process and the results of temptation. By it, 
both in the individual and the church, tempo- 
rary confusion and disorder is produced, but the 
good and the evil are separated. Thus, in Pe- 
ter's case, both the weakness (of self-confidence) 
and the strength (of penitence, faith, and love) 
are clearly disclosed, to himself as well as to 
others, only by his temptation and temporary 
fall. 

32. But I have prayed for thee. Against 
the demand of Satan is the prayer of Christ. — 
That thy faith fail not. The object of 
Christ's intercessory prayer, the armament that 
gives the Christian his victory, is faith (1 John 
5 : 4, 5). Peter's faith failed now, for he did not be- 
lieve Christ's warning ; therefore he failed in the 
hour of temptation. — When thou art con- 
verted. Was he not, then, at this time con- 
verted ? The answer is that it is only as the 
Christian is continually converted, i. e., turned 
away, by the Spirit of God, from self-confidence 
and self-seeking, that he can strengthen others 
in the spirit of faith and humility. Compare 
Matt. 18 : 3, note. — Strengthen thy brethren. 
Christian grace in ourselves must precede Chris- 
tian work upon others. Compare Ps. 51 : 10-13 ; 
John 21 : 15-17. 

33. Lord, I am prepared to go with thee. 
That is, already prepared, and hence do not 
need to be converted. Peter thus resents both 
Christ's warning and the imputation of weak- 
ness which it involves. Compare similar spirit 
in Hazael (2 Kings 8 •. 10-13). Observe that Christ 
did not account even himself "ready" for his 
trial hour, until by prayer in Gethsemane he had 
acquired strength from above. 

34. And he said, I tell thee, Peter, i. e., 
Thou rock. This is the only place in the Gospels 
where our Lord addresses Peter by this name. 
There appears to me to be in its use here a kind- 
ly sarcasm. He is a "rock," not by his native 
strength of character, but only by his faith, and 
will belie his name when his faith fails. — Shall 
not crow. The cock-crowing here referred to 
is the second crowing at dawn. See Matt. 26 : 34, 
note. 

The effect on Peter of this warning and the 
experience of temptation aDd sin which ensued, 
is very apparent in Peter's Epistles. None of 
the apostles dwell more earnestly on the truth 



that all strength is from God, and that watch- 
fulness and humility are necessary preparations 
for temptation. Observe particularly 1 Pet. 
1 : 5, 7, 13 ; 4 : 12 ; 5 : 6-9 ; 2 Pet. 1 : 5 ; 2 : 9. 

35-38. To interpret these directions literally 
is to fall into the error of the disciples, which 
Christ rebukes. To symbolize them, as by re- 
garding the sword as the sword of the Spirit, is 
to miss the true significance of the passage, by 
imputing to it a meaning which certainly Christ 
did not convey to his auditors. The language is 
figurative ; he contrasts their past with their 
future experiences ; reminds them of the time 
when, in Galilee, they travelled as representa- 
tives of their Lord, without purse or provisions, 
depending, like the ancient prophets, on the 
hospitality of the people ; warns them that in 
the future they can do this no more ; there will 
be no hospitality ; they will be the followers of 
the Crucified, one who has been numbered 
among evil-doers ; and they must depend on 
their own foresight for provision and protection. 
— When I sent you without purse, etc. See 
Matt. 10 : 9-15, notes ; Mark 6 : 8, 9, notes.— 
And he that hath none, let him sell his 
garment and buy a sword. Not that hath 
no sword, but that hath no purse. This is the 
more natural rendering of the Greek ; and he 
who had a purse would have no occasion to sell 
his garment to buy a sword. — This must yet 
be accomplished in me. The prophecy re- 
ferred to is in Isaiah 53 : 12, and plainly relates 
to the promised Messiah. — For the things 
concerning me have an end. Eather, an 
accomplishment. The meaning is that all the 
sacred prophecies, including those of his suffer- 
ings and death, must be accomplished, and that 
the time of their fulfillment was already at hand. 
— Here are two swords. Probably provided 
as a protection from the dangers of the way. 
"The road from Jericho to Jerusalem (ch. io:3o) 
was much infested with robbers ; and it was the 
custom of the priests, and even of the quiet and 
ascetic Essenes, to carry weapons when travel- 
ling. "—{Alford.) Peter had one of these swords 
(John is : 10).— It is well. This is not a commen- 
dation of their foresight; nor does it mean, 
These are enough. It is simply a dismissal of 
the subject. To interpret Christ's language 
here, as some Roman Catholic commentators 



Ch. XXIL] 



LUKE. 



135 



40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, 
Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 

41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's 
cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 

42 Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this 
cup from me : nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be 
done. 



43 And there appeared an angel 1 unto him from 
heaven, strengthening him. 

44 And s being in an agony, he prayed more ear- 
nestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of 
blood falling down to the ground. 

45_ And when he rose up from prayer, and was come 
to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, 



s Lam. 1:12; John 12 : 27 : Heb. 5 : 7. 



have done, as a warrant for the use of the sword 
in defending and extending the kingdom of God, 
is to repudiate Christ's direct and explicit in- 
structions. See Matt. 26 : 52-54 ; John 18 : 36. 
The language here, however, taken with that of 
Matt. 10 : 9-15, shows clearly that the instruc- 
tions there given were local and temporary, and 
they give abundant warrant for foresight and 
provision in carrying on the work of the king- 
dom, as, for example, by a regularly paid minis- 
try. 

39-46. Christ's Agony in Gethsemane. — 
Kecorded also by Matthew (26 : 36-46) and Mark 
(14 : 32-42). See notes on Matthew, whose account 
is fullest. There are some features, however, 
peculiar to Luke, which I treat here. 

40. At the place. John (is : 1) locates it as 
"over the brook Cedron," and describes it as 
"a garden," i. e., probably an orchard; Matthew 
and Mark designate it by name as " Gethsemane. " 
— Pray that ye enter not into temptation. 
This direction may have been given to all the 
disciples, though, if so, it is not mentioned by 
the other Evangelists. I should rather regard 
this as a condensed account of the fuller report 
given in the other Gospels of the request to the 
three disciples, Peter, James, and John, to 
watch with their Lord. 

41, 42. About a stone's cast. Peculiar 
to Luke. Matthew and Mark have only " a little 
further." The distance described is not that 
from the body of the disciples, but from the 
three whom our Lord took to watch with him, 
but whose opportunity and neglect Luke does 
not describe. — Kneeled down. Matthew and 
Mark are more precise : "Fell on his face " (Mat- 
thew), "on the ground" (Mark). — If thou be 
willing. For comparison of the three accounts 
of the prayer see Matt. 26 : 39, note. 

43. There is some uncertainty respecting the 
genuineness of this verse. Alford and Tischen- 
dorf both retain it, and the explanation of its 
omission given by Epiphanius is generally ac- 
cepted, viz., that it was expunged by the ortho- 
dox, who imagined it inconsistent with the di- 
vine nature of our Lord. Alford asserts that 
both the appearance and the strengthening were 
physical; Olshausen that they were inward and 
spiritual ; but neither assigns any reason for his 
view. The fact that Christ was divinely strength- 
ened to drink the cup, which it was not possible 
should pass from him, is clear. How that strength 



was imparted we are not told, and conjectures 
are worthless. Spiritually, the experience is 
paralleled by the two experiences of Paul re- 
corded in Acts 27 : 23, 24 and 2 Cor. 12 : 8, 9. 
In one case there was evidently a visible appear- 
ance of the angelic messenger ; in the other not. 
Divine aid was similarly afforded to Christ in the 
temptation (Mark 1 : 13). 

44. And being in an agony. Literally, a 
conflict. This word {aywvia) occurs in the N. T. 
only here ; but a different form of the same word 
(ayaiv) occurs six times, and is rendered "con- 
flict," "contention," "fight," and "race" (pmi. 

1 : 30 ; Col. 2 : 1 ; 1 Thess. 2 ; 2 ; 1 Tim. 6 : 12 ; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 

12 : i). These references indicate its meaning 
here, a true mental conflict between the wish to 
avoid the suffering of the Passion and the su- 
preme purpose to fulfill, at whatever personal 
cost, the will of the Father. On its nature, see 
notes on Matthew. For evidence of its reality 
and bitterness, see Heb. 2 : 18 ; 4 : 15 ; 5 : 7. — 
He prayed more earnestly. Now, however, 
not that the cup might pass from him, but that 
he might be able to fulfill the divine will in com- 
pleting his sacrifice (Matt. 26 : 42, note). — And his 
sweat was as it were great drops of blood 
falling down to the ground. I can see no 
reason to doubt that this description is to be 
taken literally ; that our Lord's mental agony so 
acted upon his physical frame as to produce, not 
only a perspiration, but one which was discol- 
ored by the exudation of blood. It was thus not 
drops of blood, nor mere drops of perspiration, 
but drops of a bloody perspiration. Mr. Stroud 
{Physical Cause of Christ's Death) has shown that 
in certain cases of great mental conflict the pal- 
pitation of the heart is so greatly increased, and 
the circulation of the blood so accelerated, that 
the pressure becomes very great on the blood- 
vessels, and results, sometimes in a hemorrhage, 
and sometimes in an exuding of the blood, which 
mingles with and discolors the perspiration. 
There are only a few such cases on record ; but 
they are enough to show that the bloody sweat 
experienced in the garden of Gethsemane was 
not an impossible, nor even a miraculous phe- 
nomenon, and to throw light upon it as an indi- 
cation of the degree of the agony experienced. 
They also connect this hour of agony with the 
death upon the cross. Alone it would have been 
sufficient to cause Christ's death, had he not 
been supernaturally strengthened to sustain it 



136 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXIL 



46 And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and 
pray, 1 lest ye enter into temptation. 

47 And while he yet spake, behold" a multitude, and 
he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went be- 
fore them, and drew near unto Jesus, to kiss him. 

48 But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the 
Son of man with a kiss ? 

49 When they which were about him saw what 
would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite 
with the sword ? 

50 And one of them smote the servant of the high 
priest, and cut off his right ear. 

51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. 
And he touched his ear, and healed him. 

52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and cap- 
tains of the temple, and the elders, which were come 
to him, Re ye come out as against a thief, with swords 
and staves ? 

53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye 
stretched forth no hands against me : but this is your 
hour, v and the power of darkness. 

54 Then took they him, and led kim, and brought 
him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed 
afar off. 



55 And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of 
the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down 
among them. 

56 But w a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the 
fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This 
man was also with him. 

57 And he denied him, saving, Woman, I know him 
not. 

58 And after a little while x another saw him, and 
said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I 
am not. 

59 And about the space of one hour after, another y 
confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also 
was with him : for he is a Galilsean. 

60 And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou say- 
est. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock 
crew. 

61 And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. 
And 2 Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he 
had said unto him, Before a the cock crow, thou shalt 
deny me thrice. 

62 And b Peter went out, and wept bitterly. 

63 And c the men that held Jesus mocked him, and 
smote him. 



0. . u Matt. 26 : 47, etc. ; Mark 14 : 43, etc. : John 18 : 3, etc v Job 20 : 5 ; John 12 : 27 w Matt. 26 : 69 ; Mark 14 : 66, 

! : 17.... x Matt. 26 : 71 ; Mark 14 : 6A ; John IS : 25.... v Malt. 26 : 73 ; Mark 14 : 70; John 18 : 26.... z Matt. 26 : 75; Mark 14:72. 
34. . . .b P=. 130 : 1-4 ; 143 : 1-4 ; Jer. 31 : 18 ; Ezek. 7 : 16 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 12 ; 2 Cor. 1 : 10, 11.. ..c Matt. 26 : 67, 68 ; Mark 14 : 65. 



(Matt. 26 : 35, note) ; and when it was followed by 
the withdrawal of God's countenance, and a new 
sense of the burden of sin laid upon him in the 
hour of the crucifixion, it may well have resulted 
in a rupture of his weakened heart, which I be- 
lieve to have been, physically, the cause of his 
death. See John 19 : 34, note. 

45,46. Sleeping for sorrow. Observe the 
two ways of meeting sorrow ; the disciples try to 
forget it in sleep, Christ conquers it by prayer. — 
Rise and pray lest ye enter into tempta- 
tion. This appears to have been said previously. 
See the fuller reports of Matthew and Mark. 

47-53. The Betrayal, and Arrest of Jesus. 
—Matt. 26 : 47-56; Mark 14 : 43-52; John 
18 : 1-12. See notes on Matthew and John. 
There are some features in the account of the 
arrest peculiar to Luke. He alone reports the 
question addressed by our Lord to the traitor 
(ver. 4s), Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a 
kiss ? In this question Christ reasserts himself 
to be the Messiah (Matt. 10 : 23 and note) ; this dissi- 
pates any doubts which Judas might have enter- 
tained, and makes a final appeal to his conscience. 
These are Christ's last words to him, and I think 
follow the kiss. Luke alone mentions the heal- 
ing of the servant's (Mai chus) ear (ver. 51). The 
fact that our Lord touched his ear indicates that 
it was not entirely severed. Moreover, there is 
no case in the Bible of the creation of a new 
member by a miracle. The words Suffer ye thus 
far appear to have been addressed by Jesus to 
the guard, who had already seized him. They 
are a request for sufficient liberty to effect the 
healing. Verse 52 alone indicates that any of 
the priests or elders personally accompanied the 
band. This is your hour and the power of dark- 
ness (ver. 53) is also peculiar to Luke. It is our 



Lord's answer to his own question, an explana- 
tion of the reason why the Pharisees had not 
arrested Christ before, viz., because the night 
was a proper hour for such a deed of darkness. 
I doubt the exegesis which interprets the word 
"darkness" as equivalent to the evil one. I 
should rather understand, with De Wette, The 
darkness gives you courage to seize me. Com- 
pare John 3 : 20. 

54-62. Denials of our Lord by Peter. — 
These are reported by the four Evangelists. 
Matt. 26 : 69-75 ; Mark 14 : 66-72 ; John 18 : 15-27. 
See notes on Matthew and John, especially Mat- 
thew, for harmony of the accounts. I believe 
that the denials took place during a preliminary 
examination before Caiaphas (not Annas), report- 
ed only by John, and prior to the formal trial by 
the Sanhedrim reported by the three Synoptists. 
For plan and cut of Jewish house, see notes on 
Matthew; for illustrations of the kind of fire 
used, see notes on John. Luke alone mentions 
the fact that the Lord turned and looked upon 
Peter (ver. 61). This may indicate that the exam- 
ination proceeded in a room opening upon the 
courtyard where Peter was standing, or that the 
look was given as Christ was led out from the 
palace to the council-chamber for trial. The 
latter supposition is more probable, since the 
last denial appears to have taken place not in the 
courtyard, but in the porch or entrance. 

63-71. Trial of Jesus before Caiaphas 
and the Council. — Most scholars are agreed 
that Luke here reports \ the formal trial and 
conviction of Christ. Some, however, iden- 
tify it with the meeting of the council re- 
ferred to in Matt. 27 : 1, and distinguish it 
from that reported in Matt. 26 : 57-68 ; Mark 
14 : 55-65, which they regard as a preliminary 



Ch. XXIII.] 



LUKE. 



13 



64 And when they had blindfolded him, they struck 
him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, 
who is it that smote thee ? 

65 And many other things blasphemously spake 
they against him. 

66 And d as soon as it was day, the elders of the peo- 
ple and the chief priests and the scribes came together, 
and led him into their council, saying, 

67 Art e thou the Christ ? tell us. And he said unto 
them, If I tell you, ye will not believe : 

68 And if I also a.sk you, ye will not answer me, nor 
let me go. 

69 Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right 
hand f of the power of God. 

70 Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God ? 
And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. 



71 And they said, What need we any further wit- 
ness ? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

AND e the whole multitude of them arose, and led 
him unto Pilate. 

2 And they began to accuse h him, saying, We found 
this fellow ! perverting the nation, and forbidding to 
give tribute J to Caesar, saying that he k himself is 
Christ a King. 

3 And Pilate asked him, saying. Art thou the King 
of the Jews ? And 1 he answered him, and said, Thou 
sayest it. 

4 Then said Pilate to the chief priests and to the peo- 
ple, I find no m fault in this man. 



d Matt. 27 : 1 ; Acts 4 
15 : 1, etc. ; John 18 : 
18:36: 19:12....) 1 



26-28. . . .e Matt. 26 : 6S 
28, etc....h Zech. 11 : 
Tim. 6 : 13 m John 



Mark 14: 61, etc....f Heb. 1:3;! 
rcrse 5 ; Acts 16 : 20, 21 ; 17 : 6, 7. . 
19 : 4; Heb. 7 : 26 ; 1 Pet. 2: 22. 



: 1 ; Rev. 3 : 21 ... .g Matt. 27 : 2, 11, etc. ; Mark 
.j Matt. 17 : 27; 22 : 21 ; Marie 12 : 17.... k John 



examination. The similarity of the proceedings 
appears to me to forbid this hypothesis, and to 
render far more reasonable the opinion that the 
three Evangelists narrate the same event, and 
that this event is not a preliminary and informal 
examination, but the final trial of Jesus before 
the Sanhedrim. It must be remembered that in 
the Orient, judicial proceedings were then and 
are now characterized by no such regularity and 
formality as habitually characterize such pro- 
ceedings with us. The Oriental courts are often 
scenes of popular turbulence ; the sympathies of 
the people are generally against the accused ; 
the presumptions of the court are practically ad- 
verse to him ; and popular indignities are show- 
ered upon him without interference from the 
authorities. For a general consideration of the 
apparent discrepancies in the Evangelical narra- 
tives of this trial, and for its moral and doctrinal 
lessons, see notes on Matt. 26 : 57-68. 

63-65. These indignities are placed by Mat- 
thew and Mark subsequent to the trial. They 
were inflicted by the servants (Mark u : 65), possi- 
bly both before and after Christ's final condem- 
nation. Verse 65 here is peculiar to Luke. 

66. As soon as it was day. A Jewish trial 
could not take place at night. Daybreak was 
about four o'clock in the morning. Probably 
the parallelism in expression between this verse 
and Matt. 27 : 1, has led to the supposition that 
the two meetings are identical. — The elders 
of the people and the chief priests and 
the scribes came together. That is, the 
Sanhedrim, or Jewish Council, assembled. See 
Prel. Note, Matt. 26 : 57-68.— And led him 
into their council. The original signifies 
either the council or the council-chamber. The 
context here seems to indicate that the Sanhe- 
drim assembled in the temple. This is con- 
firmed by the incident recorded in Matt. 27 : 5 ; 
see note there. The council-chamber was a 
large circular room of stone, connected with the 
temple, approached through a vestibule and spa- 
cious hall, and lighted from the roof. 



67, 68. Saying, Art thou the Christ? 

First an attempt was made to convict Jesus of 
blasphemy by false witnesses. This failed. Then 
the oath was administered to him by the high 
priest, and he was called on, in violation of the 
Jewish law, which forbade the condemnation of 
an accused on his own confession, to testify con- 
cerning his own claims and character. To this 
he returns a solemn and dignified protest. If I 
tell you, ye will not believe ; if I question you (to 
prove my own innocence by your testimony), ye 
will not answer me nor release me. After utter- 
ing this protest, he bears the testimony concern- 
ing himself recorded by the three synoptic 
Evangelists. 

69-71. See notes on Matt. 26 : 64-66. That 
Christ should a second time have been asked to 
testify against himself, and should a second time 
have given the testimony called for, seems to me 
far less probable than to suppose that we have 
in the different narratives accounts of the same 
event, with those unimportant variations which 
are elsewhere common, both in sacred and secu- 
lar history. 

Ch. 23 : 1-25. Trial before Pilate.— 
Described in Matt. 27 : 11-31 ; Mark 15 : 1-23 ; 
John 18 : 28 to 19 : 16. John's account is the full- 
est. See notes there, especially for estimate of 
Pilate's character and lessons from his course. 
See on Matthew, Prel. Note, for harmony of the 
four narratives. 

1, 2. Led him unto Pilate. Prior to this 
there was a private conference, at which the 
course to be pursued before Pilate was deter- 
mined on, and at which Judas appeared and re- 
turned the blood-money (Matt. 27:i-io). — Began 
to accuse him. Luke alone reports the accu- 
sation. They first endeavor to secure from' 
Pilate a ratification of the death sentence with- 
out a trial, and failed (John is : 29-31). — Pervert-' 
ing the nation, and forbidding to give 
tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself, 
the Messiah, is a king. The first statement 



138 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXIII. 



5 And they were the more fierce," saying, He stir- 
reth up the people, teaching, throughout all Jewry, 
beginning from Galilee to this place. 

6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether 
the man were a Galilsean. 

7 And as soon as he knew that he belonged unto 
Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who him- 
self also was at Jerusalem at that time. 

8 And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding 
glad : forP he was desirous to see him of a long season, 
because i he had heard many things of him ; and r he 
hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. 



9 Then he questioned with him in many words ; but 8 
he answered him nothing. 

io And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehe- 
mently accused him. 

ii And Herod with his men of war set him at nought,' 
and mocked him, and arrayed him in a gorgeous" 
robe, and sent him again to Pilate. 

12 And the same day Pilate and v Herod were made 
friends together : for before they were at enmity be- 
tween themselves. 

13 And Pilate, when he had called together the 
chief priests and the rulers and the people, 



Ps. 57 :4....o ch. 3: 1. 



.p ch. 



...q Matt. 14 : 1 ; Mark 6 : 14.... r 2 Kings 5 : 11.... s 
t Isa. 49 :7; 53:3....u John 19 : 5....V Acls 4 : 27. 



13, 14 ; 39 : 1, 9 ; Isa. I 



was so far true that Christ had certainly turned 
away the hearts of the people from their theu 
religious leaders (Matt., ch. 24), which they would 
regard as a perversion ; the second was absolute- 
ly false (Matt. 22 : 15-22) ; the third was true, but 
not in the sense in which they intended (John 
is : 37). See for grounds of this accusation, John 
18 : 83, note. Observe that their charge differs 
entirely from that on which Christ had been con- 
demned before the Sanhedrim (Matt. 27 : 65, note). 

3, 4. This conference is reported much more 
fully in John 18 : 33-38. It took place within 
Pilate's judgment-hall and apart from the crowd. 
Were it not for John's report of Christ's expla- 
nation of the nature of his kingdom, Pilate's ac- 
quittal of him would be utterly inexplicable ; an 
illustration how in other instances a fuller 
knowledge would explain difficulties which, in 
our comparative ignorance, are inexplicable. 

5-7. Luke alone reports this incident of the 
sending of Jesus to Herod. — He stirreth 
up the people, teaching throughout all 
Jewry; i. e., throughout all Judea. This is an 
unconsciously true characterization of Christ's 
ministry, which always excites the people and 
instructs them. Comp. Acts 16 : 20, 21 ; 17 : 6. 
The instruction and excitement of the people is 
always odious to despotic governments ; the ac- 
cusation preferred by the priests was therefore 
well adapted to stimulate Pilate's prejudices. — 
Herod's jurisdiction. For character and life 
of this Herod, see Matt. 11 : 1-12, notes. Pales- 
tine was divided into different provinces under 
different governors ; Herod was tetrarch of 
Galilee. See Luke 3 : 1, note. Under the Ro- 
man law, the prisoner might be tried before the 
governor of the province or district where he be- 
longed, or of that where the offence was com- 
mitted. Pilate seems to have sent Christ to 
Herod, partly as an act of royal courtesy, partly 
to relieve himself of responsibility. Herod's 
palace was situated in the upper city or Mount 
Sion. The trial of Jesus before Pilate, took 
place, probably, at the tower of Antonia on 
Mount Moriah (John is : 28, note). A bridge, the 
remains of which are still standing, spanned the 
ravine which separated these two hills. The re- 
lation of the temple, the tower, and the palace of 



Herod, with the bridge over which Christ was 
probably led, are shown in the map, Vol. I, p. 278. 
It is surmised that Herod was at Jerusalem for 
the purpose of attending the pascal feast. 

8-11. The fame of Jesus had reached the 
ears of Herod long before (Matt. 14 : 1 ; Luke 13 : 31). 
Observe (1) Herod's desire: to see Christ; (2) 
its cause : curiosity ; (3) his position : an in- 
quirer ; (1) his treatment : Christ answered him 
nothing. Is there not in this an explanation of 
the reason why Christ often treats with silence 
those who seem to be earnestly seeking to see 
and learn of him ; and a lesson for those who, in 
the church or out of it, manifest a desire for 
the presence of Christ, not because they want 
his spiritual inspiration, but because they are 
curious to see or ambitious to share in the mani- 
festation of his mighty works. No words could 
have so utterly rebuked the murderer of John the 
Baptist as did silence. Contrast Christ's treat- 
ment of Pilate in his honest perplexity (John 
is : 33-37). The result here — "Herod set him at 
naught and mocked him " — shows how little in 
earnest he was in his seeking. This mockery is 
not mentioned by the other Evangelists, nor is 
the mockery before Pilate mentioned by Luke. 
The gorgeous robe is not to be confounded with the 
scarlet robe afterward put upon him by Pilate's 
soldiers (Matt. 27 : 28). The original {laanqoo) indi- 
cates a white dress ; the same word is translated 
bright in Acts 10 : 30, white in Rev. 15 : 6 ; 19 : 8, 
and clear in Rev. 22 : 1. Calvin, on the mockery 
by Herod's retinue, suggests that "the honor 
which is due to God is seldom rendered to him 
in the courts of kings." 

12. Were made friends together ; for 
before they were at enmity. The cause of 
this enmity is unknown. It probably con- 
cerned some question of jurisdiction between 
them, which was conceded by Pilate in sending 
Jesus to Herod, and waived by Herod in sending 
him back again. Some of the commentators 
notice that Christ by his death thus brought 
together Jew (Herod) and Gentile (Pilate), a 
prophecy of that breaking down of the partition 
wall between them, which he has accomplished 
(Ephes. 2 : 14). More observable is the fact, that 
hostility to Christ, as well as love for him, 



Oh. XXIII.] 



LUKE. 



139 



14 Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto 
me, as one that perverteth the people ; and, behold, I, w 
having examined him before you, have found no fault 
in this man, touching those things whereof ye accuse 
him : 

15 No, nor yet Herod : for I sent you to him ; and, 
lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him. 

16 I will therefore chastise * him, and release him. 

17 (For of necessity he must release one unto them 
at the feast.) 

18 And they cried out all at once, saying, Away 
with this man, and release unto us Barabbas ; 

19 (Who for a certain sedition made in the city, and 
for murder,? was cast into prison.) 

20 Pilate therefore, willing to release Jesus, spake 
again to them. 

21 But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. 

22 And he said unto them the third time, Why, 



what evil hath he done ? I have found no cause of 
death in him : I will therefore chastise him, and let 
him go. 

23 And they were instant 1 with loud voices, requir- 
ing that he might be crucified. And the voices of 
them and of the chief priests prevailed. 

24 And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as 
they a required. 

25 And he released unto them b him that for sedition 
and murder was cast into prison, whom they had de- 
sired ; but he delivered Jesus to their will. 

26 And c as they led him away, they laid hold upon 
one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and 
on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after 
Jesus. 

27 And there followed him a great company of peo- 

Ele, and of women, which also bewailed and lamented 
im. 



w verse 4 x Isa. 53 : 5 y Acts 3 : 14 z verse 5: Ps. 22 : 12 a Exod. 23 : 2 b Acts 3 : 14 c Matt. 27 : 32, etc. • Mark 

15 : 21, etc. ; John 19 : 17. 



unites those who are naturally opposed to one 
another. United, "as Samson's foxes, to do 
mischief to others rather than to do good to 
themselves." To this Alford objects, that the 
present feeling of Pilate was anything but hos- 
tile to the person of Christ ; and Herod, by his 
treatment of him, shows that he thought him 
beneath his judicial notice ; but the enmity of 
Pilate and Herod are typical of that which pre- 
vails against Christ. This is generally either the 
opposition of self-interest, which crucifies Christ 
rather than suffer with him, or that of pride, 
which makes naught of and mocks him. 

13-15. This declaration of Christ's innocence 
appears to be distinct from that reported by the 
other Evangelists. Pilate's language indicates 
that Herod sent an unreported message of ac- 
quittal. Done unto him is a mistranslation for 
done by him. 

16. Chastise him. The original (naidzvoj) 
signifies literally, to educate or instruct, and is 
sometimes so rendered in the N. T. Here it may 
mean, I will instruct him, that is, correct his 
fanatical notions respecting a kingdom, and re- 
lease him ; but this view, adopted in my Jesus 
of Nazareth, on consideration, appears to me less 
tenable than that of our English version. Pilate 
proposes to save the pride of the priests, by con- 
victing the accused and punishing him, and to 
save his own conscience, by not inflicting the 
death penalty. 

17-25. Of necessity. This is partially ex- 
plained by Matt. 27 : 15, note ; John 18 : 39.— 
Release one of them. The demand of this 
popular privilege first came from the people 
(Mark is : 8).— They cried out all at once. 
Not immediately ; some little time intervened, 
during which the chief priests and elders were 
busy stirring up the people (Matt. 27 : 20) ; but 
all together, i. e., with clamorous and combined 
voices.— Barabbas. See Matt. 27 : 17, note. — 
The voices of them and of the chief 
priests. The latter mixed with the crowd and 



j swelled the tumult with their own voices. — He 
delivered Jesus to their will. An indication 
that he suffered them to choose the form of exe- 
cution, namely, crucifixion. Before this took 
place, Christ was scourged and mocked by the 
soldiers (Mark 27 : 26-3o), and two more efforts were 
made by Pilate for bis release (John 19 : 4, 5 ; 14, 15). 

Ch. 23 : 26-49. THE CRUCIFIXION. The Crucified 

IS NOT AN OBJECT OF PITY (27-31).— THE DIVINE COM- 

passion exemplified in the intercession of the 
cross, " Father, forgive them " (34).— The Gospel 
exemplified in the penitence, the faith, and the 
pardon of the dying brigand.— christ's death a 
pattern for the dying christian (46). 

Comp. Matt. 27 : 32-56 ; Mark 15 : 21-41 ; John 
19 : 17-30. Matthew and Mark are almost ex- 
actly parallel. Peculiar to Luke are the inci- 
dents of the weeping women (vers. 27-31), Christ's 
prayer for the forgiveness of his enemies (34), the 
penitence of one of the thieves (39-43), and Christ's 
final prayer commending his spirit into his 
Father's hands (46). For comparison of the four 
accounts, and notes on what is common to them, 
see Matthew ; 26. See Matt. 27 : 32, notes. 
27. A great company of people and of 
i women. Not his disciples, but such a crowd 
! as curiosity would gather in a great city to wit- 
ness such a procession. That the women were 
not those subsequently described as standing 
before the cross (ver. 49) is evident, because they 
were Galileans, while these are described as 
"daughters of Jerusalem." It appears from 
Rabbinical writings that an association of women 
was formed at Jerusalem to alleviate the suffer- 
ings of those condemned to die ; they accompa- 
nied the accused to the place of execution, and 
administered a drink of acid wine mixed with 
myrrh, which acted as an anodyne. This fact 
probably explains the incident mentioned in 
Matt. 27 : 34; and these may have been the 
women there referred to. It is, at all events, a 
reasonable surmise that, seeing the inscription 



140 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXIII. 



28 But J esus turning unto them, said. Daughters of 
Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, 
and for your children. 

29 For, behold, the days d are coming, in the which 



they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs 
that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck. 
30 Then e shall they begin to say to the mountains, 
Fall on us ; and to the hills, Cover us. 



d ch. 21 : 23 ; Matt. 24 : 19 e Isa. 2 : 19 ; Hosea 10 : 8 ; Rev. 6 : 16 ; 9 : 6. 



borne before the cross, "Jesus of Nazareth, 
King of the Jews," and knowing little or nothing 
of the trial before the Sanhedrim, which had 
taken place secretly about daybreak, they la- 
mented what they regarded as a new indignity 
inflicted upon their nation. The original indi- 
cates that their lamenting was of a vehement 
sort, according to the Jewish fashion, including 
beating upon their breasts and loud wailing (at 
y.al sxoTttovto xal i&Qi'jvovv dvtdv). For descrip- 
tion of Jewish wailing, see Mark 5 : 38, note. 



Ostentatious and vehement mourning appears to 
have been always displeasing to Jesus. Comp. 
Mark 5 : 39. 

28-31. Jesus turning unto them. This 
was evidently after he had been relieved of the 
cross ; perhaps he avails himself of the moment 
of delay occasioned by the impressment of Si- 
mon. Notice the indication of accuracy in this 
description of a subordinate detail. — Weep for 
yourselves and for your children. In the 
valley just outside the walls of Jerusalem is a 




M 




WAILING PLACE OF JEWS. 



point known as the "wailing place of the Jews," 
where they gather every day to read the law and 
prophets, and to chant a mournful refrain. "With 
trembling lips and tearful eyes, they sing, " Be 
not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember 
iniquity forever : behold, see, we beseech thee, 
for we are all thy people. Thy holy cities are a 
wilderness ; Zion is a wilderness ; Jerusalem a 
desolation" (isa. 64 : 9, etc.). Thus to the present 
day the daughters of Jerusalem weep for them- 
selves and their children. — The days are com- 
ing. The primary reference is to the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. Some of those who now be- 
wail him probably perished in that siege, and 
doubtless many of their children did so. For a 
description of its horrors, see Matthew, ch. 24, 
Prel. Note.— Blessed are the barren. Chil- 
dren were considered by the Jews as a special 
divine blessing, and their absence a divine pun- 



ishment (Gen. 30 : 1 ; Deut. 7 : 14 ; Ps. 127 : 3 ; Hosea 9 : 14). 

The language here, therefore, was to these 
mothers a graphic suggestion of the terrible 
days which Christ foretold.— Then shall they 
begin to say. This is cited from Hosea 10 : 8, 
and was partially fulfilled in the destruction of 
Jerusalem, when, toward the end of the siege, 
multitudes of the Jews sought to escape death 
by hiding in the subterranean passages and sew- 
ers under the city. Those who recognize the 
truth that history is itself prophetic, and that 
the judgment of God against the Jewish nation 
in th? destruction of Jerusalem is itself a pro- 
phecy of one final judgment of all nations, will 
recognize in these words here, as elsewhere in 
Scripture (isa. 2 : 10 ; 19 : 21 ; Rev. 6 : 16), a reference to 
the last judgment.— If they do these things 
in the green tree, what shall be done in 
the dry ? That is, if the Jewish rulers and the 



Ch. XXIIL] 



LUKE. 



141 



31 For f if they do these things in a green tree, what 
shall be done in the dry ? 

32 And there were also two other, malefactors,e led 
with him to be put to death. 

33 And when they were come to the place, which is 
called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the male- 
factors, one on the right hand, and the other on the 
left. 

• 34 Then said Jesus, Father, h forgive them ; for they 



know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, 
and cast lots. 

35 And the people stood beholding. And the rulers 
also with them 1 derided him, saying, He saved others j 
let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God. 

36 And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, 
and offering him vinegar, 

37 And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save 
thyself. 



1 : Ezek. 20 : 47 ; 21 : 4 ; 1 Pet. 4 : 17. 



Isa. 53 : 12. . . .h Matt. 5 : 44 ; Acts 7 : 60 ; 1 Cor. 



Roman government, conspiring together, crucify 
the Messiah of the nation and of the world, as 
the beginning of their work, what will they 
bring upon the nation in its consummation ? If 
this is the leaf and blossom of the springtime of 
their malice, what will be the autumn end ? This 
appears to me better than the ordinary interpre- 
tation of what is a confessedly difficult proverb. 
That interpretation represents the green tree as 
Christ, and the diy tree as the Jewish nation, 
and thus renders the contrast equivalent to that 
of 1 Pet. 4 : 18, " If the righteous scarcely be 
saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner ap- 
pear?" So Afford, Lange, Farrar, Schenckel, 
Meyer, Lightfoot, Barnes, etc. But the contrast 
here is not between what is done to the green 
tree and to the dry tree, but what is done in the 
tree when green, that is, in the beginning, and 
when dry, that is, at the end. And observe, it 
was the spirit of intolerance for the Gentiles in 
the Jews, which was the secret of their hate for 
a Messiah who promised redemption to all na- 
tions (ch. 4 : 28, 29 ; comp. Acta 22 : 21, 22), and the spirit 

of contempt for the Jews in the Romans, which 
manifested itself in the scourging and mockery, 
and the spirit of inhumanity and cruelty in both, 
which manifested itself in the crucifixion of 
Christ ; and it was these qualities in Jew and 
Gentile which brought on the war between 
Roman and Jew, and the scenes of carnage which 
accompanied the destruction of Jerusalem. The 
spirit exhibited in the conflict between Pi- 
late and priests was exactly the same as that 
exhibited in the long conflict between Titus and 
the besieged Jews in Jerusalem. 

The practical lesson of this incident is plain, 
though often forgotten. He who endures the 
cross, despising the shame, is not an object of 
pity (Heb. 12 : 2). There is nothing pitiable in the 
sight of one dying, even a cruel death, and in 
the very prime of life, if he dies in the fulfill- 
ment of duty, for the sake of others, a death in 
whose fruits others shall rejoice. "He could 
have been an object of pity only had he, from fear 
of the horrors of death, preferred a broken life 
to death." — (Schenckel.) We are to weep, not 
over Christ's suffering, but at the remembrance 
of our sins, which crucified him, and in reflect- 
ing upon the judgments which these sins entail. 
For his death, wrought out by sin in the green 



tree, is itself a prophecy of the woes which sin 
will bring upon the persistent sinner when sin 
has finished its course. This passage impliedly 
forbids all attempts to excite tears of commisera- 
tion by dramatic oratorical portraitures of 
Christ's sufferings, and its spirit is violated by 
much in so-called " sacred art." 

32, 33. The word malefactors is emphatic, 
and distinguishes them from Jesus. See below, 
on vers. 39-43. Calvary is not a correct render- 
ing of the original. It is an anglicized form of 
the Latin translation, calvaria, correctly ren- 
dered in the parallel passages (Matt. 27 : 33 ; Mark 
15 : 22 ; John 19 : 17) a skull. The proper translation 
here would be, When they were come to the place 
which is called a skull. The Hebrew name was 
Golgotha. As to its supposed site, see Matt. 
27 : 33, note. 

34. Father, forgive them, for they know 
not what they do. This prayer is reported 
only by Luke. "The living and divine beauty 
of this prayer is disclosed, when we understand 
it as having burst from his lips when they were 
nailing him to the cross, and as immediately re- 
ferring to his brutal and ignorant executioners." 
— (Furness.) This is true ; yet it is also time 
that we may regard it as including all who di- 
rectly participated in the crucifixion, of all of 
whom it may be truly said that they knew not 
what they did. Compare Peter's language in 
his address to the people of Jerusalem (Acts 2 : ss, 
39 ; 3 : 17) ; the latter passage expressly includes 
both people and rulers in this prayer of inter- 
cession : "I wot that through ignorance ye did 
it, as did also your rulers." Thus it may be re- 
garded as the beginning of Christ's intercession 
for sinners, though preceded by the prayer of 
intercession for his church (John, ch. n), and as a 
true interpretation of the language of his cross, 
for all the world and for all time. It is noted by 
Alford as a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 
53:12, "He made intercession for the trans- 
gressors." It was only by coming to a knowledge 
of what they had done that the crucifiers could 
be brought to a sense of sin, repentance, confes- 
sion, and so to divine forgiveness ; hence the 
first apostolic preaching is directed to bringing 
home to the mind of Jew and Gentile the enor- 
mity of this sin of crucifying the "Prince of 
Life." Observe in this prayer a wonderful 



142 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XXIII. 



38 And a superscription also was written over him, 
in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS 
THE KING OF THE JEWS. 

39 And one-* of the malefactors which were hanged 
railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself 
a. id us. 

40 But the other answering, rebuked him, saying. 
Dost not thou fear k God, seeing thou art in the same ' 
condemnation ? 



41 And we indeed justly ; for we receive the due re- 
ward of our deeds : but this man hath done nothing m 
amiss. 

42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember 11 me 
when thou comest into thy kingdom. 

43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, 
To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise. p 

44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a 
darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 



j ch. 17 : 34-36.... k Ps. 36; 



: 19. . . .n Ps. 106 : 4, 5 ; Rom. 10 : 9, 
2 Cor. 12 : 4; Rev. 2 . 7. 



10; 1 Cor. 6: 10,11.... o Rom. 5: 



exemplification of our Lord's instruction to his 
followers, "Pray for them which despitefully 
use you." — They parted his raiment, etc. 
See John 18 : 23, 24, notes. 

35-37, Comp. Matt. 27 : 39-44, notes. The 
statement that the soldiers mocked him, is pecu- 
liar to Luke. On the offering of the vinegar in 
mockery, see Matt. 27 : 47-49, notes. Alford re- 
gards this as distinct from the incidents there 
narrated. "It was about the time of the mid- 
day meal of the soldiers, and they in mockery 
offered him their pasca or sour wine, to drink 
with them." But I see no reason for this sup- 
position, nor even how such an offering to the 
thirsty sufferer can be regarded as a mockery, 
except in some such connection as is indicated in 
the accounts of the other Evangelists. 

38 • On the variation in the four reports of this 
inscription, and on Pilate's refusal to modify it, 
see John 19 : 19-22, notes. 

39-43, This incident of the penitent thief is 
recorded only by Luke. Matthew and Mark 
represent both malefactors as reviling Christ. 
On the reconciliation of this discrepancy, see 
Matt. 27 : 44, note.— If thou be the Messiah. 
The language of the brigands (Matt. 27 : 38, note) 
here and in verse 42, indicates that both were 
Jews. They were probably Galilean zealots, 
who believed in a coming Judean kingdom, 
made their patriotism a cover for robbery and 
murder, and had finally been arrested and con- 
demned. It is a reasonable hypothesis that they 
belonged to the band of which Barabbas was the 
leader. On the character of this band, see Mark 
15 : 7. In that case, the outbreak for which they 
were condemned, had taken place in Jerusalem, 
and had been accompanied by murder (ch. 23 : 19). 
— Dost thou not then fear God because Ave 
are in the same condemnation ? The brig- 
ands and Jesus were condemned to death on the 
same charge, viz., sedition against the Roman 
government (ch. 23 : 2). The one brigand, because 
Christ was subject to the same condemnation 
and punishment, makes that fact an occasion of 
reviling his claim to be Messiah; the other de- 
clares that it is known to them both that Christ's 
condemnation was unjust, that he had no share 
in their violence or their seditious designs. — 
This man hath done nothing amiss. This 
was more true than he thought. Comp. John 



8 : 46 ; 1 Pet. 2 : 22. Observe in the language 
here an important testimony, if one were needed, 
to the injustice of the sentence pronounced 
against Jesus by the Roman governor.— When 
thou comest in thy kingdom. Not into thy 
kingdom (hg), but in thy kingdom (lv). Parallel 
to this expression is Christ's own language re- 
specting himself (Matt. 25 : 31), "When the Son of 
man shall come in his glory." Comp. Col. 3 : 4. 
The dying brigand refers to a future and glo- 
rious coming of Christ, as a revealed and recog- 
nized Messiah, of which coming the ancient 
prophets had spoken, and to which Christ in 
both public and private instructions, had expli- 
citly and repeatedly referred. It is hardly possi- 
ble that the petitioner would have used this lan- 
guage if he had not been a Jew and known some- 
thing of Jesus prior to this time, by reputation if 
not personally.— To-day shalt thou be with 
me in paradise. Observe how the promise of 
grace transcends the prayer of penitence. The 
repentant brigand only asks a remembrance in 
some far future day in Christ's second coming; 
Christ promises a remembrance to-day. The 
construction which joins "to-day," with, "I say 
unto thee," rendering the declaration, "I, to- 
day, say unto thee that thou shalt be (i. e., at 
some future time) with me in paradise," only 
deserves mention as a curious illustration of the 
extent to which perversion of Scripture has been 
carried, for the purpose of avoiding its real or 
supposed inconsistency with preconceived sys- 
tems of theology. 

We must look, not to the literature of later 
patristic theology, nor to that of Jewish scholas- 
ticism, but to the usage of the common people 
in Palestine, for an interpretation of this word 
paradise, and so for the meaning of this promise ; 
for only thus shall we understand it as the thief 
would have understood it. The word is of Per- 
sian origin, and signifies beautiful land. It is 
said (Kitto) to have first appeared in Greek liter- 
ature about 400 b. c, and is employed in the 
Septuagint as a term to designate the first abode 
of man, the Garden of Eden. Hence it came to 
be employed as a designation of the future home 
into which the holy will be admitted by the 
grace of God, and thence, in Jewish popular be- 
lief, as the name of that portion of Hades, or the 
abode of the dead, in which the patriarchs and 



Oh. XXIIL] 



LUKE. 



143 



45 And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the 
temple was rent in the midst. 

46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he 
said, Father, into 1 thy hands I commend my spirit: 
and r having said thus, he gave up the ghost. 

47 Now when the centurion saw what was done, he 
glorified God, saying, Certainly this was a righteous 
man. 

48 And all the people that came together to that 
sight, beholding the things which were done, smote 
their breasts, and returned. 



49 And all his acquaintance, and the women that 
followed him from Galilee, stood afar 8 off, beholding 
these things. 

50 And, behold, there was a man named Joseph, a 
counsellor ; and he -was a good man, and a just : 

51 (The same had not consented to the counsel and 
deed of them ;) he wasoi Arimathea,a city of the Jews: 
who ' also himself waited for the kingdom of God. 

52 This man went unto Pilate, and begged the body 
of Jesus. 

53 And he took it down, and wrapped it in linen, and 



qPs. 



Matt. 27 : 50, etc. ; Mark 15 : 37, etc. ; John 19 :30....s Ps. 38 : 11; 142 : 4.... t ch. 2: 25,38; Mnrk 15 : 43. 



prophets dwelt, and into which the saints were 
believed to enter to await the final judgment and 
consequent admission to their everlasting home. 
Hence to repose in Abraham's bosom (Luke 16: 23), 
was to have a high place of honor in this abode 
of the blessed. This brigand would then have 
understood Christ's promise as one of immediate 
entrance into a state of conscious peace and joy. 
The promise throws little light on the question 
of an intermediate state, for there was no time to 
correct erroneous or even superstitious ideas 
concerning the future. But it is certainly incon- 
sistent with (1) the Eoman Catholic doctrine of 
purgatory ; for if ever one needed the fire of dis- 
cipline to purge away the evil of his nature and 
atone for that of his life, this tardily repentant 
brigand did ; (2) the doctrine of an unconscious 
state between death and the judgment ; for this 
promise was to be fulfilled, not in the future, 
but to-day ; (3) the idea of a mere gradual devel- 
opment going on in the next life from the stage 
of progress reached by habit of life and educa- 
tion in this ; for then this brigand would have 
entered on that development at almost the low- 
est point in the scale. This promise can be 
reconciled with the facts subsequently stated of 
Christ's resurrection and appearance to his disci- 
ples, only by the reasonable supposition, appa- 
rently confirmed by other passages of Scripture 
(1 Pet. 3 : is, 19 ; 4 : 6), that Christ entered immedi- 
ately after death into paradise, and remained 
with the dead, during the time when, to sight, he 
appeared to be reposing in the grave. This, too, 
accords with his declaration that to those that 
believe in him, and much more therefore to him- 
self, there is no such thing as death (John n : 26). 
In respect to the spiritual lessons of this inci- 
dent, observe, (1) That the penitent thief illus- 
trates true repentance and faith ; repentance in 
the confession, "We receive the due reward of 
our deeds ; " faith in the appeal, " Lord, remem- 
ber me when thou comest in thy kingdom." At 
a time when even the disciples despair of that 
kingdom, and lose faith in the king, this man 
hopes for the one and trusts in the other ; (2) 
that Jesus Christ illustrates this nature of divine 
mercy. Though one's whole life has been 
wasted and misspent, there is divine forgiveness 
and redemption to the penitent and believing 



j soul, who has nothing to carry to Christ but his 
I need ; (3) that the lesson is often misread. 
j There is no evidence that this brigand had ever 
known personally of Jesus Christ before, and 
therefore in this acceptance of his tardy repent- 
ance there is no encouragement for those to 
whom Christ is presented in life and health, and 
who deliberately reject him, with an expectation 
of accepting his redemption at the last. "He 
who pardons the sinner that repents, will grant 
no repentance to the sinner that presumes." — 
{Augustine.) Comp. note on Parable of the La- 
borers, Matt. 20:1-16. (4.) That the Gospel is 
both a savor of life and of death (2 Cor. 2 .- 16). To 
both malefactors Christ crucified is presented ; 
one is hardened, and blasphemes; the other is 
softened, and prays. 

41-46. On the discrepancy in time between 
the statement here and in John 19 : 14, see note 
there. On the nature and significance of the 
supernatural darkness and the rending of the 
veil here mentioned, see on Matt. 27 : 45, 51-53. 
The rending of the veil took place, according to 
Matthew's more precise account, not at noon, 
but at 3 p. m. ; the darkness lasted from noon till 
3 p. m., and was followed by an earthquake. 
The cry "with a loud voice " was that reported 
by Matthew and Mark, "Eli, Eli, lama Sabach- 
thani ; " this was followed by the words, re- 
ported only by John, "It is finished;" the 
words here reported, "Father, into thy hands I 
commit my spirit," were Christ's last words. 
They do not seem to me to justify the inference 
of Alford, that his death was " a determinate 
delivering up of his spirit to the Father," if I 
understand aright his meaning, viz., that 
Christ's death was a voluntary act of his own 
divine will, and not a succumbing of the power 
of nature to grief and exhaustion. The language 
is appropriate for any child of God, whosg 
death, if it be in consciousness, should always be 
a calm and trustful committal of the soul to the 
Heavenly Father. The language is borrowed 
from Ps. 31 : 5 ; comp. Acts 7 : 59. On the physi- 
cal cause of Christ's death, see John 19 : 34, note. 
47-49. See notes on Matt. 27 : 54-56. Ver. 48 
is peculiar to Luke, and shows that the centurion 
was not the only one affected by the darkness 
and the earthquake. 



144 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXIV. 



laid it in a u sepulchre that was hewn in stone, wherein 
never man before was laid. 

a And that day was the v preparation, and the sab- 
drew on. 

55 And the women w also, which came with him from 
Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and 
how his body was laid. 

56 And they returned, and x prepared spices and 
ointments ; and rested the sabbath day, according y to 
the commandment. 



N 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

O W z upon the first day of the week, very early in 
the morning, they came unto tie sepulchre, 



bringing the spices which they had prepared, and cer- 
tain others with them. 

2 And they found the stone rolled away from the 
sepulchre. 

3 And they entered in, and found not the body of 
the Lord Jesus. 

4 And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed 
thereabout, behold, 3 two men stood by them in shin- 
ing garments : 

5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their 
faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye 
the living among the dead ? 

6 He is not here, but is risen : remember how he 
spake b unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 

7 Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the 



u Jsa. 53 : 9 v Matt. 27 : 62 w verse 49 ; ch 

John 20 : 1, etc a John 20 : 12 ; Acts 1 



8:2 x Mark 16:1 y Exod. 20 : 8-10. . . z Matt. 28 : 1, etc. ; Mark 16 : 2, etc. ; 

10. . . .b ch. 9 : 22 ; Matt. 16 : 21 j 17 : 22, 23 ; Mark 8 : 31 ; 9 : 31 ; John 2 : 22. 



50-56* The Burial of Jesus. — Comp. Matt. 
27 : 57-61 ; Mark 15 : 42-47 ; John 19 : 36^2. See 
John for notes on what is common to the four 
Evangelists. — A counsellor. A member of 
the Jewish Sanhedrim. — A good man and 
just. Peculiar to Luke. Mark only describes 
his position ; Luke his character. — The same 
had not consented to the counsel and 
deed of them. That is, of the Sanhedrim. 
The report of the trial indicates that the con- 
demnation of Christ was unanimous (Mark 16 : 64) ; 
the implication, therefore, is that Joseph was not 
present. — The sabbath was approaching. 
The Sabbath began at sunset (Lev. 23 : 32). It was 
then not quite sunset. The Greek {inupwoy.w), to 
dawn, is here used metaphorically for, to ap- 
proach. 

Ch. 24 : 1-53. THE RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION. 
He that honors Christ crucified finds Christ 
risen.— Seek not the living Christ in the tomb of 
the dead past.— seek not living friends in the 
habitations of the dead. — communing about 
Christ leads to communion with Christ.— Faith in 
Christ as an inspired prophet and faith in Christ 
as A divine Redeemer contrasted. — Christ's fa- 
miliarity with the Old Testament.— His inter- 
pretation of the Old Testament.— Christ comes 
to those that invite him ; he passes by those that 
do not. — Christ reveals himself in the breaking 
of bread.— Christ's resurrection bodt charac- 
terized.— The mission of Christ's church defined 
by its Lord. 

Preliminary Note. — The four Gospels give 
four very different, though not inconsistent, ac- 
counts of the events connected with and subse- 
quent to the resurrection. For a tabular state- 
ment showing these differences, and a probable 
harmony of the three accounts, see Vol. I, p. 
3>0. Godet suggests an ingenious explanation 
of the difference. "As friends, who for a time 
have traveled together, disperse at the end of 
the journey, to take each the way which brings 
him to his own home, so in this last part the pe- 
culiar object of each Evangelist exercises an in- 
fluence on his narrative yet more marked than 



before." Thus he supposes that Luke prepares 
for the account of the growth of the Christian 
work which he intends to give in Acts ; Matthew 
closes his demonstration of the Messiahship of 
Jesus by an account of the great commission ; 
Mark shows the glory and activity of Christ co- 
operating from heaven with his disciples ; John 
perfects his history of the development of faith 
by his account of the victory of faith over unbe- 
lief, as in the case of Thomas. This view, how- 
ever, seems to me more ingenious than sound ; 
it attributes a definite dogmatic purpose to each 
of the Evangelists which is foreign to the art- 
less and simple character of their narratives. I 
should rather believe that each historian has re- 
corded those events of which he was personally 
cognizant, or which he heard from eye-witnesses, 
and only those, without any attempt to make a 
complete or a connected narrative of the events 
subsequent to the crucifixion. 

1-3. Compare Matt. 28 : 1-8, note. — Very 
early in the morning. Literally, in the deep 
dawn, i. e., just at the beginning of the dawn. 
Comp. Mark 16 : 2 with John 20 : 1, and see 
Matt. 28 : 1, note. — They came unto the sep- 
ulchre. These were Mary Magdalene and Mary 
the mother of Joses (Matt. 28 : 1), Salome the 
mother of James and John (Mark ie : 1), and Joan- 
na the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward (ver. 10 ; 
comp. ch. 8 : 3). — Bringing the spices. To com- 
plete the anointing of the body, which had been 
interrupted by the sabbath. See Mark 16 : 1, 
note. The Christian disciples were still Jews, 
and not even their reverence for their Lord 
seemed to them to justify breaking over the 
rigorous rules of Rabbinical sabbath observance. 
— They found the stone rolled away. This 
stone was a circular door closing the entrance to 
the tomb. See Mark 16 : 2-4, note and illustra- 
tion. 

4-7. They were much perplexed. To 
know what had become of the body. — Two 
men. Described in Mark and Luke as men, ac- 
cording to their appearance ; in Matthew and 
John as angels, according to the reality. — Bowed 



Ch. XXIV.] 



LUKE. 



145 



hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third 
day rise again. 

8 And they remembered his words, 

9 And returned from the sepulchre, and told all 
these things unto the eleven, and to ail the rest. 

io It was Mary Magdalene, and c Joanna, and Mary 
the mother of James, and other women that were with 
them, which told these things unto the apostles. 

ii And their words seemed to them as idle tales, d 
and they believed them not. 

12 Then e arose Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre : 
and stooping down, he beheld the linen clothes laid by 
themselves, and departed, wondering in himself at that 
which was come to pass. 

13 And behold, two f of them went that same day to 



a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem 
about threescore furlongs. 

14 And they talked together of all these things 
which had happened. 

15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed s 
together and reasoned, Jesus himselt drew near, and 
went with them. 

16 But their eyes were holden, h that they should not 
know him. 

17 And he said unto them, What manner of commu- 
nications are these that ye have one to another, as ye 
walk, and are sad ? 

18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas,' 
answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in 
Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are 
come to pass there in these days ? 



2 Kings 7 : 2; Job 9: 16; Ps. 126 : 1 ; Acts 12: 9. 15.... e John 20: 3,6. 
Mai. 3 : 16 ; Matt. 13 : 20. . . .h John 20 : 14, 15 : 21 : 4 i John 19 : 25. 



.f Mark 16 : 12. 



down their faces to the earth. A form of 
salutation used among the Orientals before a su- 
perior. — Why seek ye the living among the 

dead ? Christ is the Living One. It is still a 
mistaken and a misleading love, which goes into 
the past and seeks him only there ; which stops 
at the cross and at the tomb, forgetting that the 
Lord is risen (Rom. 5 : 10 ; 2 Cor. 5 : 16). The angels' 
question addresses itself also to every Christian 
mourner whose heart goes with the body to the 
grave and seeks among the dead those who are 
among the living. — When he was yet in Gal- 
ilee. The women were from Galilee ; this lan- 
guage, therefore, brings to their recollection 
Christ's prophecies of his Passion and his resur- 
rection in that most joyous period of his minis- 
try. For those prophecies, see marg. refs. 

8-11. They remembered his words. 
These had never been fully comprehended (Mark 
9 : 10; Luke is : 34), and had therefore passed, not 
indeed wholly from the disciples' memory, yet 
from their thoughts. The meaning of these 
prophecies was interpreted by events, and so 
they were recalled. — Told all these things. 
This is not inconsistent with Mark 16 : 8, "Nei- 
ther said they anything to any man." On their 
way to tell the disciples they said nothing to 
any whom they met upon the road. — Mary 
Magdalene, etc. See on ver. 24. — Seemed to 
them as idle tales. One of the many evi- 
dences that the disciples were not anticipating 
the resurrection of their Lord, and quite conclu- 
sive against Renan's theory that they were eas: ; y 
imposed upon by their own imaginations. Cn 
the contrary, they were skeptical and despairing 

(Mark 16 : 10-14; John 20 : 9, 11-13, 84, 25). 

12. Compare John 20 : 1-10. Luke gives from 
the accounts of others a brief and imperfect ref- 
erence to an event reported much more fully by 
John, who was an eye-witness. 

13, 14. The account of the appearance of 
Christ to the two disciples on their walk to Em- 
maus is referred to by Mark (ch. 16 : 12), but is 
otherwise peculiar to Luke. The narrative is 
apparently derived from an eye and ear- witness ; 



the graphic and pictorial details indicate this. 
Alford supposes Luke's informant to have been 
Cleophas, the other disciple not being named, 
perhaps because not known to Luke. The the- 
ory that the other disciple was Luke himself, 
though defended by Godet, seems to me incon- 
sistent with Luke's introduction (ch. 1 : 1-4). — A 
village called Emmaus. There were three 
places in Palestine bearing this name, one on the 
Sea of Galilee, another on the Philistine plain, 
and this village, six or eight miles from Jerusa- 
lem, and referred to by Josephus (Wars of the 
Jews, 7 : 6, 6). This Emmaus is the only one 
mentioned in the Bible. Scholars are disagreed 
in respect to the location of this village. It is 
variously placed at Kubeibeh, about nine miles 
north-west of Jerusalem, at Kolonieh, about 
four miles east-south-east from Jerusalem, and 
at Kuriet-el-Enab, north-west of Jerusalem. The 
furlong was equivalent to 606 feet, making the 
distance as indicated by Luke about seven miles. 

15-17. While they communed together 
and reasoned. Rather, talked and inquired. 
The Passion and reported resurrection of Christ 
were the themes of their conversation, and their 
spirit was that of seekers after the truth. — Their 
eyes were holden. This was their own sub- 
sequent explanation to themselves of their fail- 
ure to recognize their Lord. It would be idle 
to attempt any other interpretation of the fact 
than Christ's will ; he did not choose to be rec- 
ognized. According to Mark he appeared to 
them " in another form " (Mark ig : v:). So Mary 
thought him to be the gardener until he spoke 
her name (John 20 : 15, ie).— That they should 
not know him. The original implies result 
rather than purpose, and may be rendered, So 
that they did not know him. — And are sad. 
Their sadness showed itself in their counte- 
nances. For the nature of their feeling, see 
ver. 21, note. 

18-24. Cleophas. According to John 19 : 25, 
the mother of James and Joses was the wife of 
Cleophas ; according to Matt. 10 : 3, the father 
of James, was Alphseus. The two words are 



146 



LUKE. 



[Oh. XXIV. 



19 And he said unto them, What things ? And they 
said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which 
was a J prophet mighty k in deed and word before God 
and all the people : 

20 And ' how the chief priests and our rulers deliv- 
ered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified 
him. 

21 But we trusted that it had been m he which should 
have redeemed Israel ; and beside all this, to-day is 
the third day since these things were done. 

22 Yea, and certain women" also of our company 
made us astonished, which were early at the sepul- 
chre : 

23 And when they found not his body, they came, 
saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, 
which said that he was alive. 



24 And certain ° of them which were with us went 
to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women 
had said : but him they saw not. 

25 Then he said unto them,p O fools, and slow of 
heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ! 

26 Ought 1 not Christ to have suffered these things, 
and to enter r into his glory? 

27 And beginning at Moses, 8 and all the prophets, 1 
he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the 
things concerning himself. 

28 And they drew nigh unto the village whither they 
went : and he u made as though he would have gone 
further. 

29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us : 
for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And 
he went in to tarry with them. 



j ch. 7 : 16 ; John 3 2; Acts 2 : 22. 
p Heb. 5 : 11, 12.... q verse 46; 
u Gen. 32 : 26 ; .Mark 6 : 48. 



...k Acts 7 : 22... 
Acts 17 : 3 ; Heb. 



1 ch. 23 : 1 ; 
9 : 22, 23. . . 



Acts 13 : 
,r 1 Pet, 



27, 28. 
1:3, ] 



.m ch. 1 : 68 ; Acts 1 : 6 n vers. 9, 10 verse 12. . 

. . .s verse 44 ; Acts 3 : 22 t Acts 10 : 43 ; 26 : 22. . . 



only different forms of the same Hebrew word. 
Hence the supposition that Cleophas and Alphae- 
us are the same. But it is not certain that the 
disciple here named is to be identified with the 
father of James and Joses. Nothing else is 
known of him. — Art thou only a stranger in 
Jerusalem ? The language of Cleophas inci- 
dentally confirms the report in Matthew of the 
great darkness and the earthquake which accom- 
panied the crucifixion ; for there was nothing 
remarkable in the simple execution of a Jew in 
Jerusalem. Had the crucifixion not been ac- 
companied by extraordinary portents, the seem- 
ing ignorance of the unknown would not have 
surprised Cleophas.— What things ? Christ 
does not ask in order to know their thoughts ; 
but in answering him they reveal to themselves 
the limits of their faith and the bitterness of j 
their disappointment, and prepare the way for ; 
him to instruct them in the Scriptures. — Which 
was a prophet * * * but we hoped that 
it had been he, etc. First they declare their 
unshaken conviction in the prophetic and inspired 
character of their Master; then they describe 
the hope which they had entertained that he 
was the promised Messiah — a hope utterly over- 
thrown by his crucifixion. It was this ruin of I 
the very foundations of their religious faith 
which filled the souls of the disciples with unut- 
terable anguish. They could not distrust the 
Jesus whom they knew and loved ; but they knew 
that he was dead, and his life and the hopes 
which they had built upon it were of the past ; 
they could not conceive that a crucified prophet 
was the Redeemer and King of Israel. — Certain 
women also * * * came, saying that 
they had also seen a vision of angels, 
which said that he was alive. "Hearsay 
of a hearsay. This form shows how little faith 
they put in those reports." — (Godet.) — Compare 
ver. 11, note and refs. there. — And certain 
of them which were with us went to 
the sepulchre. The language of ver. 12 would 
lead to the impression that Peter went alone ; 



the language here recognizes the fact that he had 
a companion, as reported in John 20 : 1-10. 

25-29. O unthinking, and slow of heart 
to believe all that the prophets have spo- 
ken. Christ points out the two fruitful causes 
of religious error, (1) lack of personal, individual, 
independent thought, the habit of taking with- 
out consideration the traditional views and in- 
terpretations of the church ; (2) reluctance to 
receive truth which is opposed to pride and pre- 
judice ; in other words, intellectual sloth and 
spiritual torpor. The disciples did believe much 
tha the prophets had spoken, but they did not 
believe all, partly because they had not made an 
independent study of those prophecies, partly 
because they were not willing to receive the 
doctrine that true victory is achieved only by 
self-sacrificing love. — Ought not the Messiah 
to have suffered these things ? That is, Were 
not these sufferings necessary to the fulfillment 
of O. T. prophecy ? See Isaiah, ch. 53. — And to 
enter into his glory ? That is, through self- 
sacrifice ; for the glory of love is the glory of 
self-sacrifice. See Phil. 2 : 9-11 ; Heb. 2 : 10, 18. 
— And beginning at Moses * * * he ex- 
pounded unto them in all the Scriptures 
the things concerning himself. As he 
could not have had a complete copy of the O. T. 
Scriptures with him, since the manuscript copy 
would have been too bulky for that purpose, 
this passage indicates a very thorough, perhaps 
even a verbal, knowledge of the Bible. His 
treatment of the O. T. here also indicates both 
his recognition of its inspired character and di- 
vine authority, and its essential prophetic char- 
acter as a book of preparation for the clearer 
revelations of divine love and law in the life and 
teachings of Christ himself. What he expounded 
was the things concerning himself. "The whole 
Scriptures are a testimony to Him ; the whole 
history of the chosen people, with its types, and 
its laws, and its prophecies, is a showing forth of 
Him ; and it was here the whole that He laid out 
before them. This general leading into the 



Ch. XXIV.] 



LUKE. 



147 



30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, 
he » took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to 
them. 

31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him ; 
and he vanished out of their sight. 

32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart 
burn w within us, while he talked with us by the way, 
and while he opened to us the scriptures? 

33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to 
Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, 
and them that were with them, 

34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath x ap- 
peared to Simon. 

35 And they told what things -were done in the way, 
and how he was known of them in breaking of bread. 

36 And>' as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the 
midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. 



37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and sup- 
posed z that they had seen a spirit. 

38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled ? 
and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? 

39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: 
handle me, and see ; for a spirit hath not flesh and 
bones, as ye see me have. 

40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them 
his hands and his feet. 

41 And while they yet believed a not for joy, and 
wondered, he said unto them, Have b ye here any 
meat? 

42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and 
of an honeycomb. 

43 And he took zV, and did eat c before them. 

44 And he said unto them, These d are the words 
which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, 



v Matt. 14: 19 w Ps. 39 : 3 ; Jer. 20 : 9 ; 23 : 29 x 1 Cor. 15 : 5 v Mark 16 : 14, etc.; John 2 

45 : 26. . . .b Juku 21 : 5, etc. . . .c Acts 10 • 41. . . .d Matt. 16 : 21. 



Mark 6 : 49 a Gen. 



meaning of the whole, as a whole, fulfilled in 
Him, would be much more opportune to the 
place and time occupied than a direct exposition 
of selected passages." — (Alford.) — He made as 
though he would have gone further. Not 
a deception ; he would have gone further had 
they not constrained him. The delicacy of 
Christ's love forbids his intrusion of himself 
uninvited. Had the disciples been satisfied with 
the disclosures of truth already made to them, 
they would not have received the fuller disclo- 
sure of Christ himself. "Every gift of God is 
an invitation to claim a greater. Grace for grace 
(John 1 : 13). But most men stop very quickly on 
this way, and thus they never reach the full 
blessing (2 Kings 13 : 14-19)." — (Godet.) — Abide 
with us, i. e., for the night. — To tarry with 
them. As if to do so. 

30-32. He took bre;sd and blessed it. 
Takirig position as the householder, not as a 
guest. So, when we invite him to come in and 
sup with us, he becomes our host (Rev. 3 : so 1 . — 
And their eyes were opened. In this familiar 
act there was that which brought him to their 
minds. It was thus the natural means to make 
him known to them, which was especially chosen 
by him for that purpose. There is no reason 
whatever to regard this bread-breaking as a cel- 
ebration of the Last Supper, though the Roman- 
ists so regard it, and cite it in defence of the 
doctrine that only one kind is to be distributed 
to the laity. — Did not our heart burn within 
us. A graphic suggestion of the warmth en- 
kindled by his words. — While he opened to 
us the Scriptures. YVhich had been to them 
before as a closed book. 

33-35. And they rose up the same hour. 
Eager to tell the news.— Found the eleven 
gathered together, and them that were 
with them. This appears to have been an 
evening service in which the apostles, or some 
of them, had gathered the other disciples to 
communicate to them the story of the resurrec- 
tion. This meeting is probably the same as that 



described in John 20 : 19-23. Both were held 
the first day of the week, in the evening ; in both 
assemblages Christ suddenly appeared ; and in 
both he overcame their fear and skepticism by 
showing them the wounds in his hands and feet. 

36-40. Jesus himself stood in the midst. 
Though the doors were shut for fear of the Jews 
(John 20 : 19). — Peace be unto you. A common 
Jewish salutation. — But they were terrified 
and affrighted. The two words are used sim- 
ply to emphasize the fact of their fear. — Why 
are ye agitated ? and why do question- 
ings arise in your hearts ? He first seeks to 
pacify them, then to instruct them. Their ter- 
ror and their questionings show how little they 
were prepared for his appearance, and how small 
was their faith in, or at least their realization of 
his resurrection. — Behold my hands and my 
feet. * * * handle me and see; for a 
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye 
see me have. He showed them the print of 
the nails in his hands, and the sword-thrust in 
his side. This throws some light on the subse- 
quent language of Thomas (John 20 : 25) ; he desired 
the same evidence which had been vouchsafed 
to his co-disciples. Christ's language here shows 
clearly that his body after the resurrection was 
his natural earthly body. I believe that he re- 
tained it until the ascension, when it was changed 
"in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye," and 
the corruptible put on incorruption and the mor- 
tal pat on immortality. His entrance into a 
room through a closed door, with a natural body, 
is no more inexplicable than his walking upon 
the water ; it was simply a miracle. If this 
opinion be correct, then in his ascension, as in 
his resurrection, Christ was the "first-fruit," 
illustrating both the resurrection of the dead 
and the mysterious change which Paul tells us 
will take place in the bodies of the living at the 
last day (1 Cor. 15 : 51-53). 

41-43. And while they yet believed not 
for joy. First fear, then joy, produced skepti- 
cism ; they were too excited calmly to consider 



148 



LUKE. 



[Ch. XXIV. 



that all e things must be fulfilled, which were written 
in the law of Moses, and in the f prophets, and in the 
psalms,s concerning me. 

45 Then opened he their understanding, that they 
might understand the scriptures. 

46 And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus 
it behoved Christ h to suffer, and to rise ■ from the dead 
the third day : 

47 And that repentance and i remission of sins should 
be preached in his name among all nations, beginning 
at Jerusalem. 

48 And ye are witnesses k of these things. 



49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father 
upon you : but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until 
ye be endued with power 1 from on high. 

50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he 
lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 

51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he 
was parted from them, and carried" 1 up into heaven. 

52 And n they worshipped him, and returned to Je- 
rusalem with great joy : 

53 And were continually in the temple, praising 
and blessing God. Amen. 



ch. 21 : 22; Acts 3 : 18; 13 : 27, 33. .. .f verse 27.."..g Ps. 22, 90, etc. . . .h Isa. 53 : 3, 5 ; Acts 4 : 12.... i 1 Pet. 1 :3....j Acts 5: 31; 13:38. . 
k Acts 1 : 8 1 Isa. 44 : 3; Joel 2 : 28, etc. ; Acts 1 : 8; 2: 1-21.... m Acts 1 :9; Heb. 4 : 14 ...n Matt. 28 : 9, 17. . . .0 Aas 2 : 46, 47 ; 5 :42. 



and intelligently to understand and receive the 
truth that their Lord, though crucified, had con- 
quered death, and thus had proved himself a 
greater King and a mightier Messiah than they 
had ever dreamed of. — And he took it and 
did eat before them* Another evidence of 
his bodily resurrection. If his were a spiritual 
body this eating would have been but a pretence. 
44-49. In these words Luke gives a summary 
of the events and teachings prior to the ascen- 
sion. This is a much more reasonable interpre- 
tation than the hypothesis that he believed that 
the ascension took place immediately after the 
resurrection, and at the close of this interview 
with the disciples, on the very evening of the day 
on which Christ rose from the dead. For in 
Acts 1 : 3 Luke distinctly avers that Christ for 
forty days after his resurrection was seen by his 
disciples, and taught them. If, as is maintained 
by the rationalistic commentators, Luke's Gospel 
contained an earlier tradition and the Book of 
Acts a later one, he would certainly have cor- 
rected the error of the former treatise, to which 
he explicitly refers in the subsequent one. In 
studying the Lord's commission given to the Chris- 
tian church, the student should compare the ac- 



counts in Matt. 28 : 18-20 and in John 20 : 22, 23, 
with vers. 47-49 here. Christ here defines the 
preacher's subject, field, mission, and power. 
The subject of preaching is repentance on the 
part of man, and release from sin, both its pres- 
ent power and its future penalty, by the act of 
God and in the name of Christ ; the field of/ the 
preacher is the world (Matt. 13 : 38) ; he is to go 
out carrying his message among all nations ; his 
work begins at home, but does not end there ; 
his mission is that of witness — he is to testify to 
the truth of a Gospel the power of which he 
has first personally experienced ; and his power 
is in the possession of the Spirit of God, prom- 
ised by the Father through Jesus Christ (John 

14 : 16-26 ; 15 : 26 ; 16 : 7-11, 13, 14). Until this promise 

of the Father is fulfilled, the church is without 
power to do its work. Compare Acts 1 : 8. 

50-53. The account of the ascension is given 
only by Mark (i6 : 19, 20) and by Luke here and in 
Acts 1 : 9. See note there. Ver. 53 here forms 
a connecting link between Luke's Gospel and the 
Book of Acts, and comprises in a sentence a sug- 
gestion of that era in the Church's history graph- 
ically pictured in the first five chapters of the 
Book of Acts. 




TBADITIONAX. SITE OF THE ASCENSION. 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



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